What Works Real Good with Slayers
by Creature Of The Nite
Summary: This is a re-write of the series. Spike is a teenaged slayer, Buffy is his vampire nemesis. Also, Drusilla is a vampire with a soul. AU.
1. The Harvest: Part 1

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Spike Summers was lying in bed, having nightmarish visions of what was to come. He tossed and turned, writhing in agony. The visions hadn't troubled him this much since he first became a slayer. He was seeing demons, vampires, and other terrifying entities. He hated having the visions, they were so horrible, the sick, twisted things he was forced to endure…

/

Joyce Summers was downstairs, cooking breakfast.

"Spike!" Joyce called, "Time to get up!"

Spike's eyes shot open. He was freed from the terrifying dream. The young slayer shot up in bed, the covers falling off his bare chest.

"Five more minutes, mum?" Spike pleaded

/

Sunnydale High…

/

Joyce stopped the car by the front of the school. Spike opened the door, and got out, throwing his backpack over his shoulder.

"You'll be fine, Spike," Joyce assured, "I'm sure you'll make lots of friends right away."

"OK," Spike nodded

He began to walk away. Joyce felt like she had to say something else.

"And…honey?" she added

"Yeah?" Spike turned around

"Try to stay out of trouble?"

/

Spike walked into the school, and surveyed it. It seemed alright. A bit cold, but then again, all high schools were. He decided not to waste any time and get his books.

"Hey, mate," Spike tapped a teenager on the shoulder, "Can you tell me where the library is?"

"Dude, don't fucking talk to me," the teenager growled

Spike threw his hands up sarcastically and defensively, and walked away. The teenager continued to rummage through his locker. His friend looked at him nervously.

"So Oz," his friend began, "How's your anger management class going?"

/

Spike walked into the library, and looked around. The place didn't feel like a high school library, there was too much of an intellectual vibe, as if you could actually learn something here.

"Oi! Any librarians present?" Spike called

No one answered. The slayer sighed, and drummed his fingers on the desk counter. There was an interesting article in the paper that caught his eye, about some murdered schoolboys. Someone tapped Spike on the shoulder rather suddenly.

"Ah!" Spike exclaimed

He saw the librarian standing behind him, looking eager.

"About bloody time," Spike said, "Look, I'm new here, so I'll need 'Perspectives on the 20th century'…"

"Mr. Summers?" the librarian asked

"Just call me Spike," he corrected

"Ah…well, 'Spike', I'm Mr. Giles. I have what you're looking for."

Giles walked behind the desk, and slammed a book down on the counter. It was a large red volume, with 'Vampyr' written on it in gold letters. Spike rolled his eyes.

"I take it you're my new Watcher?" he asked

"Yes," Giles nodded

"Can't you people introduce yourselves normally?" Spike groaned, "How hard is it to say 'Hi, Spike, I'm from the Watchers council'?"

Giles was surprised by Spike's blunt manner of speaking. Spike could tell that Giles was judging him.

"I've been told that you've already accepted your duty, that you've slain vampires before?" Giles said

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "I've killed a few vampires in my time. Don't like to brag."

There was a brief silence. Then Spike sniggered.

"Who am I kidding? I love to brag! Let's see, there was this big vamp who I decapitated with an X-acto knife…that was a smashing homecoming. Then there was the one I killed at the railroad…"

"I'm glad you're enthusiastic," Giles interrupted, "But there is something that the council is still having issues with."

Spike knew where this was going. He had had this conversation with the watchers he'd had in England and LA, and was sick of it.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" he cursed, "Yes, I'm a male slayer! That doesn't make me some kind of criminal! There's no rule saying that the slayer HAS to be a girl. Even if there was…"

"Spike…" Giles began

Spike ignored him and kept ranting.

"…what makes you think that I couldn't have accidentally been chosen? Magic makes mistakes all the time! I once ran into this coven of witches, they tried to teleport me out of the room, ending up sending me to bloody Denver, Colorado!"

"Spike, would you just…?" Giles attempted

"And why is it that only girls have been slayers until now? Bloody affirmative action finally kick in?"

"We don't have your full name!" Giles interrupted

Spike stopped his rant.

"What?" he asked

"That's what the issue is I was trying to tell you about," Giles sighed, "With the Watcher's council. They're not sure what your middle name is."

"Oh…" Spike attempted to hide his embarrassment, "It's, um, William. Spike William Summers."

/

Later…

/

Willow sat on a bench in the quad, taking her lunch out of its brown bag.

"Willow, right?" Spike asked

Willow looked up, and let out a nervous squeak. A boy was talking to her.

"Why?" Willow asked, "Um, I mean…yeah?"

"I don't fancy getting kicked out of this school," Spike said, flatly, "Any chance I could look to you for help catching up?"

"Uh, sure, yeah. We could, um…" Willow avoided Spike's glance, "We could study together?"

"Nah. If I could just get the notes, that stuff…"

"Um, sure."

Willow tried to think of something smart to say.

"So, um…are you new?"

"Yeah. Just moved here from LA."

"You d-don't sound like you're from LA."

"Well, I'm originally from England."

"Which part?"

"Manchester," Spike lied, "I grew up in the rough part of town. Had to fight for…"

Xander and Jesse walked up to Willow.

"Hey, Wil, who's the bleach-head?" Xander asked, interrupting Spike

"Sod off," Spike snapped

Xander was surprised by the quick comeback.

"Y-you can't tell me what to do," was all Xander could say

"Spike, this is Xander and Jesse," Willow said, attempting to defuse the situation, "Spike transferred here from LA. He's English."

"LA, huh?" Jesse asked, "You're that guy who burned down his old school?"

Willow gasped.

"I didn't burn down the **whole** school, just the gym," Spike sighed, "And in my defense, it was filled with vampires."

"What?" Jesse laughed

"Vampires. Bloodsuckers. Creatures of the night," Spike said

"I knew he was a psycho," Xander muttered to Jesse, just loud enough for Spike to hear

Spike was sick of Xander already. He got up, and gave Xander a powerful shove, using all of his slayer strength. The boy crashed through a bench. Willow let out a terrified scream.

"Damn it!" Spike groaned

He only wanted to knock Xander down, he hadn't intended to hit him that hard; this wasn't good. People were staring.

"Um, I can explain that," Spike began, "You see…"

Mid-sentence, Spike abandoned the idea of coming up with a convincing excuse. Instead, he sprinted inside the school before any authority figures showed up.

/

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**A/N: OK, I hope this wasn't too bad (In my defense, it's been a while since I've submitted anything). I will probably upload Chapter 2 sometime in the next few days if I get any feedback for Chapter 1.**


	2. The Harvest: Part 2

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Spike sent the rest of the day trying to avoid attention. He had almost made it out of the school, when a girl approached him at his locker. She was tall, slim, and wore very fashionable clothes.

"Hello," she was grinning widely

"Hi," Spike replied casually

"I heard from Aura you that you were the one who shoved Xander Harris into a bench."

"No, that was someone else," Spike lied

"It's okay, you don't have to hide it," the girl assured, "Xander's a creep. I'm Cordelia Chase, by the way."

"Spike Summers."

"And you're new here, right?"

"Yeah."

"You seem pretty cool…"

Cordelia eyed Spike's leather coat.

"…Why don't you come by the Bronze tonight?"

"What's the Bronze?"

"It's the only good club in Sunnydale. They'll let anyone in, but it's still the hottest scene."

"OK. Might stop by."

/

Later…

/

Spike stood in his room, in front of a mirror. He was trying to decide which coat to wear. He held one up to himself.

"Yeah, Shaft knows I raid his wardrobe," Spike said, mocking the coat's design

He held up his other leather one.

"Hi, could all non-Aryans please leave the room?" he continued, alluding to the fact that the coat looked like it had belonged to an SS officer

"Spike?" Joyce knocked on the door

"Hey mum," Spike replied

"Are you going out?" she asked

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "Going to a club."

"Oh. Will there be girls there?"

"Uh, no, mum, it's a eunuch club."

Joyce tried to hide her smirk.

"Just be careful, okay?"

"Sure," Spike nodded

"You know, I think we can really make it work here. I've found a nice place for the gallery, I've got my positive energy flowing, and this place seems very nurturing. Well, not too nurturing. I know you don't need too much nurturing, you're sixteen…"

"I'll be fine, mum," Spike sighed

"I know you're a good boy, Spike. You just fell in with the wrong crowd."

"Don't worry, mum, I plan to hang out with the living this time…"

/

Spike left the house, and started to head to The Bronze. He had barely walked two blocks when he noticed someone was following him.

"Bugger…" Spike muttered

He began to deviate from the directions Cordelia had given him, and ducked into the nearest dark alley. Using his slayer agility, he leaped up a fire escape, and crouched down. The mysterious stalker followed Spike's path, but then stopped, trying to figure out where he had gone. At once, Spike jumped down and kicked the stalker to the ground.

"Did I do something to offend you?" the stalker asked, with a hurt quaver in her voice

Spike was surprised by the female voice.

"Who are you?" Spike asked

The stalker rose from the ground, and faced Spike. She was an eerily beautiful brunette, wearing a stunning black dress that contrasted with her pale skin.

"Why were you following me?" Spike demanded

"I know what you're thinking," the girl spoke with a faint cockney-English accent, as if it had been worn down over time, "Don't worry, brave knight, I don't bite."

She walked up to Spike.

"Hm. Didn't think you'd be so tall," she said, "I thought skinnier. Girlier…but I like this."  
>The girl ran her hands through Spike's hair.<p>

"What do you want?" Spike pulled away from her

"The same thing you do."

Spike waited for her to finish the sentence.

"Which is…?"

"To save the villagers from the bad vampires."

"True…"

"You're on the Hellmouth now, brave knight," the girl informed, "And it's about to crack wide open. The Harvest will begin soon."

"Couldn't you have just told me that instead of following me?" Spike sighed, "How hard is it to get a hold of my phone number?"

"I could have phoned you on the phone, but then I couldn't give you your present," the girl added

"Present?" Spike raised an eyebrow

She took a small box out from her satchel, and handed it to Spike. He opened the box; it contained a small metal crucifix.

"So, are you with the Watchers…?" Spike began

He looked up. The girl was gone.

/

Spike entered the Bronze. A band was playing loud music. Loud, but not good.

"Oi, mate," Spike approached the bartender, "Can I get a beer?"

"ID," the bartender said expressionlessly

Spike handed over his fake ID. The bartender eyed it suspiciously, but reluctantly gave Spike a beer. Spike popped it opened with his Swiss Army knife began to drink.

"Ah, that's good," he murmured

He looked around the club, and noticed Willow sitting at the bar.

"Willow!" Spike called

He walked over to her. Willow got up nervously.

"Um, hi Spike," she said

"Hey," he replied, "So, that friend of yours, Zana…"

"Xander," Willow corrected.

"Whatever. Is he okay?"

"Um, yeah, he just bruised his arm. He's here if you want to apologize."

Spike snorted.

"Why should I apologize? He was being a jerkass."

"W-well you didn't have to push him into a bench," Willow said, gingerly

"Yeah, but I didn't have to NOT push him into a bench," Spike joked

He drank some more of his beer.

"You want one of these?" Spike offered

"Uh, I'd rather not," Willow said

"Your loss," Spike shrugged, "So, you and Xander? How long has that been going on?"

"W-we're not going out," Willow corrected, "I mean, we used to, but we broke up when I took one of his action figures without asking."

Spike was confused for a moment, but then he laughed.

"I see, you were kids."

"Actually, it was last year," Willow muttered disdainfully

"Oh..."

Cordelia walked up to them.

"Hey Cordy," Spike said

"Hey Spike," she replied, with a little smile, "Glad you could make it."

She turned to Willow. Her smile disappeared.

"Geek," Cordelia said, "Shouldn't you be at home doing my homework?"

Spike was shocked by the Cordelia's nastiness. She had seemed so nice.

"Um, well," Willow began, "I-I thought since it wasn't due until Monday, I'd, um, wait to finish it until…"

"Um, hello, I don't have all day!" Cordelia interrupted, "Are you going to go home and do it or not?"

"Uh…" Willow croaked

Out of the corner of his eye, Spike spotted something that disturbed him. It was a man, who only looked twenty, at the most, but he dressed like he was from the seventies. He was watching girls who passed, but he was looking at their necks, instead of other places. Obviously a vampire.

"Hey Cordelia," Spike tapped on her shoulder, "That bloke over there, he's got his eye on you."

"Oh?"

Cordelia looked over to the vampire. He winked at her.

"Excuse me," Cordelia grinned

She pushed past Willow, and walked to the man.

"Thanks for getting rid of her," Willow said

"No problem," Spike said

Giles walked up to the two of them. He had been watching the situation from afar.

"Hi, Mr. Giles!" Willow smiled

"Hello, um, Willow, isn't it?" he asked

Willow let out an excited squeak. The fact that an attractive older man had remembered her name was a big deal for her.

/

"You know you'll have to save her if he tries anything," Giles reminded Spike

"I know," Spike sighed, "I just wanted to give her a little scare."

"Scare? Is he in a gang?" Willow asked

"No, just a bit rough," Spike explained

"So Cordelia shouldn't be leaving with him?"

Spike and Giles turned to see Cordelia leaving with the vampire.

"I'm on it," Spike sighed

"I'll go with you."

The two Englishmen made their way to the exit.

"By the way, I ran into a friend of yours," Spike said, "That dark haired girl. Is she with the Watcher's council?"

"I don't think I know who you're talking about," Giles replied

They got outside just in time to see the vampire dragging Cordelia to the sewers. She was screaming and protesting.

"Well, no time like the present," Spike took out his stake

"Wait!" Giles held Spike back, "Vampires don't normally take prisoners."

Spike knew he was right; if they wanted to drain or sire her, they would have just done it in the alley.

"You think they have plans for her?" Spike asked

"Possibly. They might be an order. Maybe they're doing a virgin sacrifice?"

"They wouldn't have taken Cordelia for that," Willow said

Spike and Giles turned around. Willow had followed them out.

"How much of that did you hear?" Giles asked

"Pretty much everything," Willow replied, "You guys don't really believe in vampires, do you?"

There was a loud scream. Not Cordelia's, a man's scream.

"Jesse!" Willow exclaimed

"Willow, I advise you not to get involved…" Giles began

"If it's an order of vampires, I'll need all the help I can get," Spike reminded

Giles couldn't argue with that.

"Go get Alexander or whatever his name is," Spike instructed Willow, "Get him to meet us down in the sewers. I'll leave a trail…"

/

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To Be Continued…


	3. The Harvest: Part 3

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Spike and Giles climbed down to the sewers, and began to follow the vampires.

"This has got to be the cleanest, most spacious sewer I've ever been in," Spike noted

"I think it's a storm drain," Giles corrected

"Still…it's surprisingly big for a storm drain," Spike noted

"Yes," Giles nodded, "Vampires have quite an easy time getting around this town."

"We should look into that."

/

The two of them continued to run. Giles had regretted wearing his good shoes; they were completely soaked.

"Giles, have you got any weapons?" Spike asked

"I have a stake and my pocketknife. Well, technically it's a bottle-opener…"

"So between us we have two stakes?" Spike noted, "That would be fine if we were having a romantic dinner together, but in this case…"

Spike reached to the wall, and drew an arrow in the direction he was going.

"We're getting closer," Giles said

They turned a corner, and caught up with Cordelia and Jesse. The vampire from the club was there, along with another vampire, who wore a schoolgirl uniform.

"Hey!" Spike yelled

Spike jammed his stake into the club-vampire, and instantly dusted him. The vamp was young, barely forty; he didn't stand a chance. Cordelia stumbled away from the pile of dust, and crouched against the wall. She was well out of her comfort zone; she didn't like it one bit.

"Come any closer and I snap his neck!" Darla warned, grabbing Jesse by the throat

Spike and Giles stopped.

"Put down the stakes," Darla ordered, "and walk away."

"Please, help me!" Jesse begged

The Watcher and The Slayer couldn't even look him in the eye. They couldn't risk trying anything, Darla was too fast. But if they stayed calm, they might be able to make a deal with her.

"Jesse!" Xander yelled

"Oh no!" Spike groaned

Xander caught up with Giles and Spike.

"Xander, don't do anything!" Spike warned

Xander took one look at the girl-vampire who was holding his friend hostage, and let out a little laugh.

"Why, what's she going to do?" Xander grinned

He turned to Darla.

"Hey, schoolgirl, how about you let my friend go, and we don't tell the nuns about this one?" Xander teased

"Don't provoke her!" Jesse warned, "She's like a…monster…or something!"

"What's she going to do? Throw her English essay at us?" Xander continued his puns

"Will you shut up!" Giles snapped

Spike slowly advanced to Darla, trying to stay cool.

"If you let him go now, then we won't follow you," he offered

Darla studied Spike. There was something familiar about the way he fought, his body language, and the older British gentleman that was with him. Her gleefully-evil expression faded to one of shock and surprise.

"Oh my god," she breathed, "Are you a slayer?"

"Yes," Spike nodded

"But you're a…boy!"

"I'm aware of that."

Darla continued to study Spike.

"I'm in no mood to fight a slayer," she concluded

With a powerful shove, she thrust Jesse in Spike's direction, intending to use him as a diversion. Spike shoved Jesse out of the way, and began to chase after Darla, when he heard a loud clang. He had shoved Jesse into the wall, hard. The boy fell face-down on the ground. He wasn't moving.

/

Spike and Xander carried Jesse to the surface. Giles ushered Cordelia up the ladder. She took one look around, and ran back to The Bronze in a panic.

"What happened?" Willow gasped, "Oh my god! Jesse!"

"Will he be okay?" Xander asked anxiously

Giles checked Jesse's vital signs.

"Dead," he announced, grimly, "He must have hit the wall very hard."

Xander turned to Spike.

"Mate, it was an accident!" Spike said quickly

"If that was an accident, then so is this," Xander said

Before Spike could react, Xander lashed out at him, punching Spike in the nose. There was an audible crack. Spike fell to the ground.

"I'm going to take a stand and say that slayers aren't good," Xander decided, his words filled with rage

Spike got up to fight back, but Giles grabbed him by the collar.

"We need to think more clearly," the Watcher said, "If you all head home, I'll deal with the police."

"What are you going to do?" Willow asked, "The cops won't believe that vampires were involved!"

"The Watchers council is prepared for incidents like this," Giles replied, secretively, "It's not the first time a slayer has accidentally killed a human. Anyway, Spike, please escort everyone home."

"We can find our own way," Xander said, coldly, "Come on, Willow."

Willow was still for a moment. She looked over to Spike, not sure what to say. She wanted to stay with him, in case the vampires came back.

"Willow!" Xander yelled

"Um, I'll…" she attempted to say something to Spike, but nothing came to her

Nervously, the redhead went with Xander.

"Right, well…" Giles sighed, "Spike, I suppose you can go home. We'll convene at the library tomorrow."

/

Spike walked home in the dark. He was tired, his boots were soaked, and he was just plain scared. He had killed a human, and it wasn't even a bad one. Jesse didn't deserve to die.

"Mum, I'm home," Spike said, walking inside

Joyce walked out of the kitchen. She did not look pleased.

"I got a call from your principal," she said, "He said that at lunch, you shoved someone through a bench."

"Mum, the guy was being a jerk," Spike sighed

"That's not how the principal told it. And…is that blood on your coat? What have you been up to? Good god, Spike, we've only been here today, and you've already gotten into trouble. Is this going to happen every time we…?"

Everything became too much for Spike. He let out a little sob, and began to cry.

"Oh…Spike, I'm sorry," Joyce said, feeling bad

Spike continued to cry. Joyce hugged him.

"How about I make us some cocoa?" Joyce attempted, "Would that make you feel better?"

Spike looked up.

"D-do we have any of those little marshmallows?" he asked, through his tears

"Of course…"

/

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/

To be continued…


	4. The Harvest: Part 4

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The next day…

/

Spike was sprinting towards the Bronze, trying to beat The Vessel there. If Giles was right, The Vessel would be making his way to an enclosed area filled with young, tasty humans. Spike made a mental note to get a car; even his slayer stamina wouldn't be enough. Spike stopped to catch his breath. He heard a strange rustling in the bushes.

"Either you come out, or I come in there," Spike sighed

The bushes parted, revealing Spike's stalker. She was wearing a red silk dress and carrying a crossbow.

"What do you want?" Spike asked

"You're going to kill the vessel, right?" she asked

"Yeah…" Spike nodded

"Good."

Suddenly, the stalker grabbed Spike, and wrestled his coat off of him. She then gave him a crossbow, as if it was an exchange.

"What the hell?" Spike exclaimed

"You don't want to get your clothes dirty, you've got a big night tonight," the stalker explained

"And how do you know that?"

"I'm a little bit psychic."

"I hope you're not a Cassandra."

Spike was referring to the woman in Greek mythology who could predict the future, but no one would believe her.

"Actually, I'm a Drusilla," she corrected

"As in Caligula's sister?" Spike flinched, "You mean you and your brother…?"

"No," Drusilla interrupted, "My name. Drusilla."

"Oh," Spike nodded, understanding

/

Later…

/

Spike jammed the stake into Luke's heart, giving it a good twist. Luke was horrified for a moment, but then he turned to dust.

"Tell 'The Master'…" Spike wheezed, "That…the Slayer…is coming for him…"

Spike then realized that no one was around to hear him.

"Bugger…" he muttered

/

Spike walked to the front of the Bronze, grabbed the pay phone, and dialed a number.

"Hello?" Giles answered

"I killed The Vessel!" Spike said, still out of breath

"Good. And its associates?"

"What?" Spike groaned

"Spike, surely you didn't think it would be alone?"

Spike turned around, seeing three vampires heading in his direction.

"Son of a…"

/

One fight later…

/

Spike was lying in the alley behind the Bronze, barely alive. Darla stood in front of him, twirling a dagger.

"You made a fight of it, slayer, I'll give you that," Darla admitted

Spike tried to grab his stake from the ground, but Darla got it first.

"Nice try," Darla grinned

She jammed the stake into Spike's arm. It was the most painful thing he had ever experienced. Spike wasn't new to pain; since becoming a slayer, he had been beaten with blunt objects, gotten punched a lot, and had even been stabbed before, but not with a stake. In addition to the pain of having a stake shoved through him, splinters had lodged themselves into his skin. Spike howled with pain.

"Well, slayer, this has been fun," Darla concluded, "But unfortunately, I've got places to be, people to kill…"

Willow walked out of the Bronze in time to see Darla standing over Spike. Without hesitation, she picked up the crossbow that Spike had dropped. There was one bolt in it.

"Hey!" Willow yelled, "Get away from him!"

Darla turned around.

"Do you even know how to use that?" she sneered

Willow pulled the trigger, and the bolt went flying in Darla's direction. It missed her heart.

"Aaaaaaah!" Darla screamed

It missed her heart, and landed in her eye. Darla couldn't handle the pain. She ran off, attempting to yank the arrow out.

"Spike!" Willow dropped the crossbow

She ran to him.

"Are you alright?" Willow asked

"I'll be fine," Spike grunted, "Help me up?"

Willow helped Spike to his feet. He yanked the stake out.

"I wonder what would have happened if I'd asked for the chicken?" Spike joked

"Huh?" Willow asked, "Oh! I get it! Like chicken or steak! Ha-ha!"

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "Now help me get out of here before something kills me?"

Willow laughed again.

"That one wasn't a joke."

"Sorry."

/

Willow helped Spike walk to the school.

"Spike, I really think you should go to the hospital," Willow said

"Nah," Spike shook his head, "I'll be fine."

"But you got stabbed with a piece of wood!" Willow reminded

Spike rolled up his sleeve. His wound was almost completely closed.

"How did you do that?" Willow asked

"One of the benefits of being a slayer," Spike explained, "I can heal pretty fast."

"What exactly is a slayer?" Willow asked, "I know it's what you are, but what is it?"

"It's someone who's given the strength and skill to kill vampires," Spike explained

"How do you get them?"

"I'm not sure. One day I found myself stronger and then some bloke showed up and said I had to kill vampires."

"Do you get a choice?"

"Not really. It's like being drafted, except you can't escape to Canada."

"That doesn't sound too good."

"Understatement."

/

They arrived at Sunnydale High, and headed to the library. Giles was attempting to make sense of an ancient text.

"So does that mean no ONE can enter the temple, or literally no MAN?" he muttered

"Giles!" Spike called

Giles looked up from his book.

"Oh, good, you're here," he said, "Did you have trouble with The Vessel's guard?"

"No, thanks to Maid Marion here," Spike indicated Willow

"Well, while she's here, she can help us with research," Giles said, "Now, from what I've read of 'The Master', he likes to dwell underground. As soon as city hall opens in the morning, we can apply for the plans for the city, which we can get in about two weeks…"

"There's a quicker way," Willow interrupted

"Do you know someone who can get us the plans?" Giles asked

"Yeah. Me."

Willow sat down at the computer, and logged herself in.

"When you spend as much time online as I do, you pick up a few things," Willow explained, typing away, "It's a simple matter of finding the weak point in the system and tearing it open. All I need to do is find one corrupted terabyte and then I can exploit it by creating a new primary ident."

She hit the enter key.

"I just did it," Willow replied, "Here's the plans for the entire city."

She punched them up on the computer.

"So, I guess this 'master' must be hiding in a large underground area, somewhere he could live in."

Willow zoomed in on the plans.

"Now this is a church that collapsed in the thirties, it's connected to the sewers," she said, "It's not exactly a mansion, but if half of what I've heard about vampires is true, it would be ideal for one, especially one who calls himself 'The Master'."

Giles leaned in closer, and examined the screen.

"You're brilliant…" he breathed

"I can also hack the Mayor's computer. Want to read his e-mails?"

"Perhaps another time…"

/

Later…

/

Spike ran into Drusilla on his way home; she was waiting for him by the Revello Drive street sign, holding his coat.

"You knew I was going to get stabbed," Spike said, "You really are psychic."

"Yes," Drusilla nodded

"So why didn't you just tell me that?"

"I couldn't prevent it. But I could save your poor coat."

She handed it to Spike. He slid it back on.

"Drusilla, who are you? Why are you helping me?"

"I lost my family to a bad, bad vampire," Drusilla explained, her British accent becoming more apparent, "I want to catch him. Make him pay. I want to stake him everywhere except his heart. Then I'll stake him in the heart."

There was an awkward silence.

"So I'll see you around?" Spike asked

"Of course."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	5. Witch: Part 1

/

/

/

Spike sat at the kitchen table, staring at his breakfast. He wasn't really hungry, he was too depressed to eat. He was still having trouble with the fact that he had killed someone.

"More pancakes?" Joyce offered

"I'm good, thanks," Spike said, uninterested

There was a knock at the front door.

"Were you expecting someone?" Joyce asked

"No," Spike replied, "You?"

"Nope."

Spike got up and drudged to the front door. He opened it, revealing Giles. He looked very happy.

"Hey, Watcher," Spike said

"Can I come in?" Giles asked, gleefully

"Sure…"

Giles stepped inside, and handed Spike a file.

"What's this?" Spike asked

"Coroner's report," Giles grinned, "It turns out that Jesse died from a broken neck, not a head wound."

"So?" Spike asked

"That vampire must have snapped his neck when she pushed him."

Spike's eyes lit up.

"So I didn't kill him?" he asked

"No."

"Oh, thank god!"

"Spike?" Joyce walked into the living room, "Who's your friend?"

"Um, I'm Mr. Giles," the man said quickly, "I'm the school librarian, I'm only here because Spike has some overdue…"

"She knows," Spike interrupted

"Oh thank god," Giles breathed a sigh of relief, "I despise having to do the whole 'secret identity' façade."

"Giles is the new Watcher," Spike said, "Don't worry, he's nothing like the last one."

"Mr. Giles, would you care for some pancakes?" Joyce asked

"Oh, yes please," he said

The two of them proceeded to the kitchen.

"Spike, do you have your backpack?" Joyce asked

"I'll just go and grab it," Spike said

He walked out of the room. Giles sat down at the kitchen table.

"So, um, Mrs. Summers, how long have you known your son was the slayer?" he asked

Joyce slammed a knife down on the kitchen table, pinning down Giles' tie. The man was too surprised to respond.

"Listen, Watcher," she growled, "I don't mind Spike getting into fights with vampires or demons, but if you're as mean to him as his last Watcher was, then I'll make a pan of my delicious hot fudge brownies and shove them down your trousers!"

"I'm very responsible!" Giles said quickly

"Good," Joyce let him go, "Now…"

She picked up the spatula.

"How many pancakes do you want?"

/

Giles and Spike walked out of the Summers' residence.

"Do you want a lift to school?" Giles offered

"That depends," Spike looked in the driveway, "Is that your car?"

He pointed to the grey Citroen.

"Yes," Giles nodded

"...I'll walk," Spike decided

/

Sunnydale High…

/

It was afterschool. Spike walked into the gym. He scanned the room for a moment, then found who he was looking for.

"Xander!" he called

Spike leapt up on the bleachers. Xander let out a disdainful groan.

"Get the hell away from me, Spike," Xander warned

Spike sighed, and took out the file Giles' had lent him.

"Coroner's report. Worth a look."

Xander reluctantly looked through the file, examining the photos of his fallen friend.

"Well?" Spike sighed

Xander looked over the report one last time.

"OK," Xander nodded, "I guess you didn't kill him."

Xander got up, and shoved the file back to Spike.

"But you didn't exactly help him either. Stay away from us!"

He sat back down next to Willow.

"Red, you want to see these?" Spike asked, offering her the file

"No," she said, "I-it doesn't matter if it was a vampire, I know you didn't mean to kill Jesse."

"Good to know."

Spike eyed a few of the girls who were training.

"I wouldn't have pegged you two for cheerleading fans," he admitted

"We're not, we're just here to support Amy. That girl, over there."

"Oh yeah?" Spike sat down, "Friend of yours?"

"Yeah. I really hope she makes the team, she's been training almost six hours every day."

/

"Okay, Amber Grove, start your routine," the head cheerleader ordered

Amber began her routine. She started off with a needle-split lift, followed by a double spin and then a jumping double spin. After landing, Amber launched herself into an aerial and a cartwheel. Everyone in the gym was watching her closely.

"She's pretty good," Spike said

"Yeah," Willow agreed

Suddenly, Amber's hands began emitting green sparks.

"Is that part of the act?" Spike asked

"I don't think so…" Willow replied, unsure

Suddenly, Amber's hands burst into flames, and fireballs blasted out in random directions.

"OK, that definitely isn't!" Willow exclaimed

Other people ducked, and ran for cover. Spike, on the other hand, leapt up and grabbed a banner that was draped on the wall. He then ran down to Amber, dodged several fireballs, and covered her hands with the banner. The flames were soon out, and the fireballs stopped.

"You'll be OK, luv," Spike assured

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Amber gasped

"Excuse me?" Spike asked

"Communist !" someone yelled from the bleachers

"Go back to England!" another yelled

Willow had her face buried in her hands. Xander looks furious.

"What? What did I do?" Spike groaned

He realized what the 'banner' he had grabbed was.

"Oh no..."

It was an American flag.

/

/

/

To be continued...


	6. Witch: Part 2

/

/

/

Giles was in the library, on the phone to the Watcher's council. He had Quentin Travers on speakerphone.

"How is the slayer doing?" Travers asked, "Settling in alright?"

"Spike is settling in fine," Giles replied, "Aside from a small altercation last week, there have been no incidents…"

Spike burst into the library.

"Before you hear it from anyone else, I didn't burn that American flag!" he insisted, loudly

"Is that him?" Travers gasped

Giles sighed.

"Quentin, I shall have to call you back…"

It was Willow's turn to burst in.

"Spike, did you set that cheerleader on fire?" she demanded furiously

"Did she say 'cheerleader on fire'?"

Giles hung up before anything else could go wrong.

/

"…so she just burst into flames?" Giles asked

"Yeah," Spike replied

"And fireballs? Really?"

"Oh yeah," Spike nodded

"It was like the fourth of July," Willow added

"Can we not mention the fourth of July?" Spike sighed

"I have a theory on what caused it," Giles said, "It's likely this is witchcraft."

"Witchcraft?" Willow grinned, "Like in the Wizard of Oz?"

"I suppose," Giles said, "But they're not so easily defeated. I think first we should make a list of people would want to hurt a cheerleader."

"But since neither of us will live forever," Spike interrupted, "We should find out how many witches there are in the Sunnydale area."

"Yes, that would probably be more effective," Giles agreed

"So, where in this town can we find some witches?" Spike asked

"You, uh…oh! You could try the Magic Box," Willow suggested, "It's the local magic shop."

"Can you go there for me?" Spike asked

"Why can't you do it?"

"I had a bad experience with witches."

"Spike, slayers and witches have a long history of comradery," Giles reminded, "The ones you met in Los Angeles were probably just a rogue coven."

"Fine…" Spike sighed

/

Spike followed the directions Willow had given him, and made it to the Magic Box. He walked inside, and took it in. The shelves were stocked with spell books and charms, there were jars on countertops with weird things inside, and all kinds of symbols on the wall. Spike walked up to the register. A strange girl was attending to it. She had pale skin, paler than most vampires, and wore clothing that wouldn't stick out at a Goth club.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked

"Yeah, I need to find someone who came in here," Spike said, "They bought stuff for a spell."

"We get a lot of people in here who buy things for spells," the girl replied, "Can you be more specific?"

"Well, the spell made a girl's hand burst into flames, then she started blasting fireballs…"

"Oh, that Sunnydale High cheerleader?" the girl asked

"Uh huh," Spike nodded

"Some guy came in here last week and bought a crate of inferno reeds and snake oil. They're, like, needed them for a spell like that."

"You sold that stuff to him, and knew what it could be used for?" Spike was surprised, "What the hell?"

"Hey I just sell the stuff!" the girl snapped, "It's up to the customers what they do with it!"

"Oh, right, because he probably just wanted to use a fireball-blasting spell for PERSONAL USE?"

There was a brief silence.

"So do you want to know who the buyer was or not?"

"Yes…" Spike sighed

"I guess since it's an…emergency, or whatever, I can look him up in the records."

"Thanks."

/

The girl disappeared into the backroom.

"Good to hear a familiar voice," someone said

A man appeared from behind the bookcases, and approached Spike. He was about Giles' age, and wasn't very tough-looking, yet there was something unnerving about him.

"Excuse me?" Spike asked

"Your accent. It's good to hear another Englishman."

"Likewise. You live here?"

"For the time being," the man extended his hand, "I'm Wesley Wyndham-Pryce."

Spike knew the man was lying, but decided to indulge him. He shook his hand.

"I'm Spike. Are you the same Wesley Wyndham-Pryce from the Watcher's council?"  
>"You know the Watchers?" the man was surprised<p>

"I work for them."

"You aren't by any chance…the boy-slayer?"

"No, I'm the vampire slayer," Spike joked

"Ah ha ha," the man laughed lightly, "Well, Spike, it was good running into you. I hope to see you around."

He made his way out of the shop, just as the girl returned.

"Yeah, you're looking for a guy named Ethan Rayne," the girl said, "According to his credit card info, he's not from around here."

"Not from Sunnydale?"

"Not from the US. He was British or something like that."

"Short guy, mid-40s?" Spike asked

"Yeah, why?"

Spike bolted, heading to the door. He might just be able to catch the guy…

/

/

/

To be continued…


	7. Witch: Part 3

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who added me to Story Alert and/or to Favorite Stories.  
><strong>

/

/

/

Spike made his way back to the library. It was late, even Willow had gone home. Giles sat at his desk, drinking tea and furiously studying a manuscript. He heard the doors close, and looked up, locking eyes with Spike.

"Where have you been?" Giles asked "We need to…"

"I've found our guy."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Tailed him home. He lives in a house on McCarthy Drive."

"Good boy. What do you know about him?"

"He's English, like us, and he knows about the Watcher's council. The name on his credit card was Ethan Rayne…"

There was a crash as Giles dropped the teacup he had been drinking from.

"Ethan Rayne? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. You know him?"

Giles stood up, and walked around his desk.

"If Ethan Rayne's involved, we're in a lot of trouble."

"Why? What can he do?"

"He's a very powerful sorcerer. And he worships Chaos. We'll need to pull out the big guns for this."

Giles opened up the book cage. He began taking down weapons. A sword, a dagger, a crossbow, and an entire quiver of bolts.

"Take anything you need," Giles said

Spike studied the weapons, then picked up a crowbar.

"Let's roll."

/

Giles' Citroen drudged to McCarthy Drive, and just about died in front of the house Spike had seen Ethan Rayne go into. The Slayer and the Watcher exited, and made their way to the front door under cover of darkness.

"Spike, get the door," Giles ordered

Spike nodded, and then took out a couple of paperclips, and began to pick the lock on the door.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Giles sighed

He lifted up his foot, and kicked the door wide open. To Spike's surprise, Ethan Rayne and Amy Madison were sitting on Amy's couch, drinking tea together.

"Oh, bugger!" Ethan exclaimed

He attempted to make a run for the door, when Giles fired a crossbow bolt into the couch. Ethan sat back down.

"Don't move," Giles warned

"What are you doing here?" Spike demanded, pointing to Amy

"What am I...this is my house!" she exclaimed

Amy turned to Ethan.

"Mr. Rayne, do you know these guys?" Amy asked, slightly on edge

"He's an old friend of mine," Ethan replied

"Quiet," Giles warned, "You're going to come with me. We'll see what the Watcher's council has to say about your antics."

"Antics?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, "I'm only in town because Amy here needed my help."

"What?"

"I called him," Amy explained, "I found Mr. Rayne's number in one of mom's magic books, I thought he could help me."

"Help you kill cheerleaders?" Spike asked

"No, help me get my body back," Amy replied, "My mom stole it."

"Are you serious?" Spike raised a skeptical eyebrow

"Yeah. Mom told me I was wasting my youth, so she decided to take it. If it wasn't for Mr. Rayne, I'd still be trapped in her body. He saved my life."

"Why would you help her?" Giles was suspicious, "You've never been the knight-in-shining-armor type."

"I admit it wasn't completely unselfish. I've been looking for an excuse to get back at Catherine Madison. She…wronged me once."

"Right. And what did you have against that cheerleader you set on fire?" Giles asked

"That was my idea," Amy interrupted, "I needed a good reason not to join the cheerleading squad. It would have looked weird if I just gave up out of the blue."

"Anyway, that girl's hands will be fine in a few days," Ethan added, "So what have I really done wrong?"

Giles thought for a moment. Then, reluctantly, he lowered the crossbow.

"Alright. I suppose you did have somewhat noble intentions…this time."

Ethan stood up.

"Well," he began, "Now that I have no reason to hide from you …do you want to go and get a pint?"

Giles studied Ethan's face to see if he was serious.

"Okay," Giles reluctantly agreed, "But the first round is on you."

"I'll need to go home…" Spike started to say

"Oh, of course," Giles interrupted, "Don't worry Spike, we'll drive you home first."

Spike was going to say "_I'll need to go home and get my fake ID_".

/

The three guys walked out to Giles' car.

"I see The Council still won't pay for transportation," Ethan noted

"What do you mean?" Giles asked

"Nothing..." Ethan said quickly

"By the way, Ethan, where is Ms. Madison?" Giles asked

The Chaos-worshiper grinned.

"Remember that enchantment I cast on Rutherford Sirk?"

"You didn't!" Giles laughed

"Don't worry, it was a much milder version…" Ethan assured, "But she won't be bothering Amy any time soon…"

/

Later…

/

Spike was in his room, lying on the bed and listening to his music. His Sex Pistols CD kept skipping on 'My Way', so he was playing The Ramones. Playing it, but not really listening to it. The slayer was too busy thinking to listen. It seemed as if no one wanted to be around him; his Watcher had blown him off to go drinking (Spike didn't really want to go, but Giles could have at least _**asked**_), Joyce had to work late at the gallery, Willow was only there if someone's life depended on it, and everyone at school saw him as some kind of creeper.

"Fuck 'em all…" Spike muttered

_"Except mum," he added, in his head_

The front doorbell rang. Spike ignored it. But then it rang again, and again. Resentfully, Spike got up, and drudged downstairs.

/

"What?" Spike demanded, opening the door

It was Oz. He had his trademark scowl on his face.

"Oh, it's you…" Spike muttered, "What do you want?"

Oz let out an angry sigh.

"My guidance councilor says that I should start apologizing to people I've offended with my anger issues," Oz muttered, "Long story short, I am sorry I cursed at you on your first day at Sunnydale High."

Spike could tell from the monotonous tone in Oz's voice that he didn't mean it.

"Don't worry about it," Spike muttered, not really caring

"No!" Oz groaned, "You're supposed…you have to…rrrrrg!"

He kicked the doorway in anger. Paint chips fell to the ground.

"Hey, there's no call for that," Spike said

"Well it's either I hit inanimate objects or I go back to hitting people," Oz snapped

Spike then had an idea.

"You know, I have something that might help you…"

/

Five minutes later…

/

Spike's room was filled with smoke, the good kind. 'All Along the Watchtower' (the Jimmy Hendrix cover) was playing on the stereo. Oz took another toke of the joint.

"We're called 'Dingoes Ate My Baby'," he said, in a calm, mellow tone

"Who are?" Spike asked

"My band."

"Oh, right. I was in a band once. Well, I got banned…but it _**was**_ from a music shop."

"I've been there. You throw one record at a salesperson and you're branded for life…"

Oz passed the joint back to Spike, who took a toke.

"What was the record?"

"Uh...I think it was The White Album."

"Why did you throw it?"

"Because I couldn't find Hard Day's Night."

Spike burst out laughing; Oz maintained his stoic expression.

"I think the joint's almost done," Oz said

"Oh."

Spike got up, and walked to his bookcase. He opened up his hollowed-out copy of The Fountainhead, revealing his stash.

"Hey Oz, want to know something cool?"

"Sure."

"Vampires are real."

The teenager mulled over the information.

"That explains a lot."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	8. Drusilla: Part 1

/

/

/

Spike and Oz were at the Bronze, having a few drinks. Spike had gotten a fake ID for Oz so they could drink together. Alcohol didn't mellow Oz out as well as marijuana, but it helped.

"So what's going on here?" Spike asked

He was referring to the festivities in The Bronze. A girl had just stamped on a cockroach and gotten a free drink.

"It's the annual fumigation party," Oz explained, "The Bronze has a party before they close to kill the cockroaches."

Upon hearing that, Spike decided not to eat the sandwich he had ordered.

"So how are Dingoes doing?" Spike asked, wanting to change the subject

"We got a gig," Oz replied, "Small club, but a gig's a gig."

"Sounds cool."

"You should…"

Oz was distracted by Willow entering The Bronze. He had never really noticed her before. She was just standing there in her baggy sweater and floral-print skirt, nervously looking around for Xander. Yet Oz couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Spike, who's that girl?" he asked

Spike swiveled round in his chair.

"You mean Cordelia?" Spike asked

"No, the redhead."

"Oh, that's Willow."

"Willow…" Oz repeated

The name sounded so beautiful to him.

"But she's with Xander," Spike replied, "They got back together a few weeks ago."

"Oh," Oz was disappointed

"You got a thing for redheads?"

"That's not weird, is it?"

"Nah. My cousin Scott's the same way."

/

Spike went outside to have a smoke. He didn't really want to, but he needed an excuse to get out of the Bronze. Ever since the flag-burning incident, people had been rather cold towards him.

"Slayer…" someone growled

Spike looked up, seeing three vampires approaching him. They were huge, wearing armored shoulder-pads and chainmail.

"Can I get a minute's peace from you guys?" Spike exclaimed, "It's called personal space, are you all socially-diseased or something?"

Spike ran up to the vamp, and attempted to stake him. The vamp dodged the attack, and kicked Spike. Spike lashed out with several kicks and punches, but they were too fast. The slayer ended up in the center of the three of them, getting punched and kicked around.

"Ow…stop it! Get off…ow! Knock it off!" Spike yelled

Just before the vampires could do some REAL damage to him, Drusilla appeared and attacked one of the them, kicking him repeatedly in the gaps of his chest armor.

"Back off!" she screeched

She lashed her hand through the air, and sliced the vampire's face. He responded by punching her right in the chest, knocking her down.

"Not cool!" Spike yelled

In a moment of pure fury, he jammed his stake into The Three's back, and tried to reach his heart. It barely made a dent in his armor.

"OK, new plan," Spike announced

He turned to Drusilla, who had quickly recovered from the punch.

"Leg it!" he yelled

/

The two of them took off running. The Three ran after them.

"Who are those guys?" Spike panted

"They're called The Three, they're The Master's top bad men," Drusilla replied, "If they're after us, you've really got him mad."

"Cool!"

/

Spike and Drusilla kept running. The vampires chased them all the way to Revello Drive.

"My place is just over there," Spike pointed to it

They made it up the driveway. Spike fished out his key, opened the door, and stepped inside. Drusilla hesitated.

"Drusilla, hurry up!" Spike yelled, "Get inside!"

Drusilla took a deep breath, and made it through the front door. Spike slammed it just as The Three made their way onto the front lawn.

/

"Well, that was uncomfortably close," Spike muttered

He took off his coat, and hung it up on the coat rack.

"They'll wait for us all night," Drusilla said, "They don't give up, they don't get tired, and they don't sleep."

"Then we'll stay inside," Spike said

"Are you trying to get me to stay the night?" Drusilla grinned

Spike's heart raced.

"Um…"

"Spike?" Joyce called, "Are you home?"

Spike cringed; the last thing he wanted was for his mum to interrupt his moment with Drusilla. Joyce walked into the living room, and saw the two of them.

"Who's your friend?" she asked

"This is Drusilla," Spike said, "She helps me fight vampires."

"Helps you?" Drusilla repeated, slightly insulted

"Is she a slayer?" Joyce asked

"No, mum, I'm the slayer. There's only one."

Spike had lost count of how many times he had explained that to his mother.

"I thought…never mind. Spike, it's kind of late to have friends over."

"It's not like that," Spike explained, "Some pretty nasty vamps are outside. They'll be here until sunrise."

"Should I call the police?" Joyce asked

"No, the police won't do anything," Spike sighed

"Maybe if we explain…" Joyce began

"Mum…" Spike groaned

"Fine. Drusilla, you can stay here tonight," Joyce said, "I'll clean up the guest room."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	9. Drusilla: Part 2

/

/

/

Later…

/

Spike was lying in his bed, going over everything that he had said in front of Drusilla. Well, over-analyzing was a better term.

"Leg it?" he muttered to himself, "What the hell were you thinking? You're not a couple of mates getting home from the football…"

"Spike?"

Spike sat up, and turned on the light. Drusilla stood by the door.

"Hey…" Spike muttered, slightly asleep

"I have to leave," Drusilla said, "My pills are back at my place. If I don't take them, I become…unpleasant."

"Oh, okay," Spike nodded, "Uh…what about The Three?"

"The Three are very determined. As long as you're still in the house, they won't notice me."

"You sure?"

"It should work. Goodbye."

Drusilla leaned forward and gave Spike a kiss. Spike decided to take a risk and began to kissed her back. The two of them did not part; Spike placed his arm around her, and slowly began to pull her down to his bed. Not forcefully, but in a gentle way, with Drusilla silently consenting. Her lips felt so good, her body was soft, her skin was smooth, and…cold. DEAD cold. Her entire body was. It was then that Spike noticed how pale her skin was, how he had never seen her during the day…

"No…" Spike began, "You're not…"

Drusilla froze.

"Brave knight, before you jump to any conclusions…" she began

Spike punched her in the face…

/

The next day…

/

"…and then her vamp face appeared!" Spike continued

"What did you do next?" Oz asked

They were in the library, trying to find information about Drusilla. Well, Giles and Willow were.

"I kicked her off me and she left through my bedroom window."

"And she didn't come back?"

"Nope," Spike replied, "I stayed up all night at the top of the stairs with a stake and some garlic."

"Does garlic actually work?" Oz asked

"I don't know, she never…"

"Are you two going to sit around and gossip or are you going to give us a hand?" Willow interrupted

"I'll give you a hand," Oz said

He walked over to Willow. Spike rolled his eyes.

"So what about The Three?" he asked, "Do I have to be home before sundown every night?"

"Actually, you needn't worry about The Three," Giles replied, "Their code of honor requires them to offer their lives as penance for their failure."

/

Sometime later…

/

"I've got something!" Giles announced

He made his way out of his office, carrying a large leather-bound diary.

"The Watcher's diaries, I can't believe I didn't look in these," the man said

He flipped it open to a page.

"_Drusilla, sired in 1860, is one of the most psychotic and deadly vampires I have ever encountered_," Giles read, "_She maintains a childlike, psychotic demeanor, speaking in random dialogue. She has shown joy in killing women, children, and small animals._"

Willow looked at Spike.

"I can't believe you like someone who kills bunnies for fun!" she said, her voice filled with judgment

"At least I'm not the one who likes Xander," Spike snorted

"What's wrong with Xander?"

"What's right with him? He's never said anything nice to me."

"Well maybe if you didn't push him into that bench…"

"You know he started it!"

"Well it didn't help that you killed…!"

Willow stopped mid-sentence.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Spike muttered

"Now this is strange," Giles interrupted, trying to change the subject, "According to this Watcher's diary, Drusilla stopped killing around 1920. She also shunned vampire society, and has been sighted in and out of various mental institutions throughout the century."

"Well, crazy girls need love too," Oz commented, stoic-as-ever

/

Drusilla stood in her apartment, rearranging her dolls. She could never seem to get them in the right order, they were constantly demanding to be seated next to someone else. Miss Edith was the fussiest.

"It's never enough for you, is it?" Drusilla sighed

The alarm clock by Drusilla's bed bleeped three times. Drusilla put down Miss Edith, and walked to her medicine cabinet, taking out a bottle of pills.

"Hello, granddaughter…"

Drusilla turned around, and saw Darla standing in the doorway.

"Please don't call me that," Drusilla said

"Oh, why?" Darla teased, approaching Drusilla, "Last time I saw you, you loved it when I called you that!"

"I've changed."

Drusilla walked to the fridge, and took out a glass of blood. She swallowed her pills, chasing them with the blood.

"Look at yourself, Drusilla," Darla sighed, "Donated blood, all those pills…it's not natural."

Drusilla closed the pill bottle and put it away, trying to avoid looking at Darla.

"It's because of that slayer, isn't it?"

"No," Drusilla lied

"You really think he'll see you as anything but a target? He'll kill you the first chance he gets."

"He is not like that!" Drusilla stamped her foot on the ground, "My brave knight is different! He's special!"

"Special?" Darla laughed, "Dru, you've always been a bit crazy, but now…"

Drusilla began to whimper.

"Oh, come on," Darla placed an arm around Drusilla, "Don't cry."

She eased Drusilla down onto her bed.

"Dear, it's fine if you want to play human every once in a while," Darla explained, "But sooner or later, you'll have to face who you are. I'll always accept you for that."

Darla got up, and walked to the door.

"But the slayer won't…"

She left.

/

Willow and Giles had gone home. Oz and Spike had stayed at the library to study. Well, that was what they had told Giles. They studied for about five minutes then adjourned to the Faculty lounge to watch TV. Unbeknownst to them, Darla was still watching.

"I don't think I understand British TV," Oz admitted, referring to the show they were watching

"What don't you get?" Spike asked

"They were just in the phone box, now they're in the spaceship?"

"The spaceship is inside the phone box."

"How does that work?"

"It's bigger on the inside."

"Were the writers on drugs when they wrote this?" Oz wasn't trying to be mean, he was seriously asking

"Probably," Spike shrugged

Oz got up, and rummaged through the fridge.

"So…how far exactly did you get with Drusilla?" Oz asked

"Not much before I realized she was a vamp."

"So you didn't…" Oz tried to think of a tactful way to ask

"We kissed, we moved to the bed, then I noticed how freezing cold her skin was, and figured it out."

"Dead cold? Like a corpse?"

"Actually, it was sorta like the other side of the pillow."

/

Joyce sat at the kitchen counter, in a state of frustration. There was a knock at the door; Joyce welcomed the excuse to abandon her taxes. She walked to the front door and opened it, revealing Darla in full-schoolgirl attire.

"Hi, I'm Darla," she said, "A friend of Spike's."

"Oh, nice to meet you."

There was a pause.

"Spike didn't say anything about me coming over to study?"

"He said he was studying with Oz at the library tonight."

"Oh, Oz is the Civil War expert, I'm the expert on the War of Independence. My family kind of goes back to those days."

"Well he'll be home soon, if you'd like to come inside and wait for him."

Darla smiled.

"Thank you for inviting me in…"

She crossed over the threshold, and entered the house.

"Can I get you something to eat?" Joyce asked

"I could go for that…" Darla said, her eyes focused on Joyce's neck

Joyce opened up the kitchen cupboard.

"Did you want something big, or something small?"

"Something big…" Darla morphed into her vampire face

/

/

/

To be continued…


	10. Drusilla: Part 3

/

/

/

Drusilla nervously walked to Spike's house, still trying to think of what she would say to him.

"…Spike, I like you a lot, and just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean…" she stopped, "No, forget that…"

Suddenly, there was a loud scream from inside the house. Without hesitating, Drusilla ran in, finding Darla feeding off of an unconscious Joyce.

"What are you doing?" Drusilla cried

"Having a snack," Darla grinned maliciously

"Let her go!"

"Oh don't worry, I saved some for you," Darla replied, "How long has it been since you've drank from a human? Had that feeling of warm blood oozing down your throat…?"

The words did tempt Drusilla; she tried to control her urges, but then Darla shoved Joyce over to Drusilla. The smell of the fresh blood made Drusilla's primal instincts kick in; she morphed to her vampire face.

"Excellent…" Darla grinned

She left the house, nonchalantly. Drusilla looked at Joyce's neck, caught in a moral dilemma. Then Spike entered the kitchen.

"Mum, I'm…"

He stopped, and took in what he saw. Drusilla let out a panicked growl.

/

Spike took out his stake. Drusilla let go of Joyce, and ran out the back door. Spike caught Joyce before she hit the ground. There were two puncture wounds in her neck, and blood was pouring from it.

"Oh no, oh no…." Spike croaked

He grabbed the phone off the wall, and dialed 9-1-1.

"I need an ambulance, 1630 Revello Drive," he said

/

The hospital…

/

Spike sat in the waiting room, alone as usual.

"Spike Summers?" the nurse asked

"Yeah?" Spike asked nervously

"Your mom's in a stable condition."

Spike breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can I see her?"

"Of course. But first I need to know, what exactly happened?" the nurse asked

"She was attacked by a vampire," Spike said

The nurse was surprised by Spike's bluntness, but then nodded, understanding.

"We have a system for this. We write 'fell on a barbeque fork' on the form, for insurance purposes. Got that?"

"Got it," Spike nodded

/  
>Spike walked up to Joyce's hospital bed. It was hard for him to look at her, he felt so responsible for what had happened.<p>

"Spike," Joyce smiled, "Sorry to cause all this trouble, I shouldn't have let that girl in…"

"You didn't cause anything, Mum, this is my fault," Spike replied

"You couldn't have known…"

"I should have known."

He handed her the crucifix that Drusilla had given him, and his stake.

"Take these, in case anything comes here."

"But won't you need a stake?"

Spike reached to the wooden chair by the hospital bed, and snapped off a leg.

/

"You're taking more pills?" Darla asked

"Just a couple of antidepressants," Drusilla sighed, popping them in her mouth

"Are you feeling depressed?"

"Why else would I be taking them?"

"Drusilla, you can't let the slayer get to you like this. They thrive on this."

"Well what else can I do?"

"I say you go confront him. Get him before he gets you."

"No! If I just explain what happened…"

"You think he'll listen to you? He won't care. You're a vampire, he's a slayer. The boy is only interested in jamming the nearest wooden object into your lifeless heart."

"But I don't…I don't want to hurt him!"

"I'm not saying you have to snap his neck and tear out his entrails! Just slit his throat! Honestly, you'll feel much better."

"But…I mean, killing him…it's been so long since…"

"He's a slayer. You know as well as I do they all have death wishes. I wouldn't be surprised if he thanked you for it…"

/

Spike walked into The Bronze. The Three had found him there, and so did Drusilla. It was likely that she lived nearby.

"I knew you'd find me," Drusilla announced

She was standing in the middle of the dance floor. Spike approached her.

"So are we going to kill each other?" Spike asked

"If that's what you want," Drusilla replied

Spike drew his stake; Drusilla threateningly held up her hands.

"I know what you are," Spike said

"Just another dog that needs to be put down?"

"A dog, I would have let in my bed."

Spike attempted to stake Drusilla; she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.

"I bet you would…" she snapped

"Oh, real mature," Spike growled

He kicked her, and turned around to face her.

"Look who's talking!" Drusilla called Spike out, "You didn't even let me explain myself!"

"What's to explain? You masquerade as a vamp hunter to infiltrate my house, then you attack my family!"

"Well why not? I've killed hundreds of families."

Spike attempted to stake Drusilla again; she caught it, but Spike kept forcing his arm down. Drusilla was struggling to keep his stake from her heart.

"So what changed?"

"I killed someone from the wrong family, a Romani boy. He was so beautiful, I wanted to make sure he stayed that way forever."

"And you made him into a vampire?"

"His clan wasn't pleased. The elders cast a spell on me, the ultimate punishment. They restored my soul."

Spike sneered.

"What kind of punishment is that? Did they think changing you into a frog was too clichéd?"

"Vampires have no souls, no conscience. It's a very simple way to live. But when I got my soul back, every bad thing I ever did hit me. You have no idea what that feels like. I haven't eaten a human since that day."

"So you didn't bite my mum?"

"No. But I wanted to. I can walk among all the people, but I'm not one of them."

Spike let go of his stake, and Drusilla let go of his arm.

"Go ahead," Spike tilted his head back, "Bite me."

He could see the look of temptation on Drusilla's face, the strain it was on her. He eased his head back down.

"You really do have a soul?"

"She'll get over it," Darla said, revealing herself

/

The three of them, the two vampires and the slayer, were engaged in a fierce stand-off.

"You two know each other?" Spike asked

"We used to travelled together," Drusilla said

"Excuse me, we did more than travel together," Darla laughed

Spike raised an eyebrow.

"So you were…involved?" he asked

"We were together for many generations," Darla said, "I taught her everything she knows about killing humans. She was a great student…worthy to sit at the right hand of The Master. And she threw it all out to go after you."

She reached behind her back, and drew two guns.

"But that's about to change."

Darla fired a shot directly into Drusilla's stomach, sending a spatter of blood shooting behind her. Spike ducked behind the pool table, kicking it over and forming a shield. Not a good one. Darla fired three shots into the table. One of them sunk into Spike's leg, the other his right arm, and the other into his chest.

"Aaaaaah!"

That didn't fare well with Drusilla. She forgot about the moral quandaries of killing her grand-sire, and began advancing towards Darla. Darla began to fire at Drusilla, but the Victorian-vamp kept advancing. The pain didn't bother her (it was somewhat dulled by her medication). She walked right up to Darla.

"You can't leave me!" Darla screamed

She pulled the triggers on her guns, but they just clicked; nothing came out. With one powerful sweep of her hand, Drusilla slapped the guns out of Darla's hands.

"You've ran out of bullets," Drusilla announced

In a swift singular movement, she picked up the pool cue that had fallen off the pool table, and jammed into Darla's heart. She instantly crumbled and turned to dust.

"And out of luck," Drusilla concluded

/

/

/

To be continued…


	11. Drusilla: Part 4

_**A/N: Thank you for all the new reviews and favorites/alerts. A few people have asked me when Buffy will appear. She will be in the story, but not just yet (I am doing season 1 right now, she will appear in Season 2).**_

/

/

/

Drusilla walked over to Spike.

"Did you get hit?" she asked

"Not as much as you did," Spike groaned, trying to get up

"I should take you to the hospital."

"Nah, hospitals report bullet wounds. I'll be fine, slayer healing and all that."

"Then please come back to my place. I've got some painkillers and bandages."

"Alright…" Spike sighed

/

"Just up here…" Drusilla said, "Come on, Brave Knight…"

She opened the door to her apartment. Spike entered, and took it in. It was a one-room apartment. There was a large bed, a wall of weapons, and a cabinet with dolls in it. Not the cheap plastic dolls found in toy stores, but elegant porcelain dolls in fancy dresses. There was also a bookcase, which was filled with antique books and a few modern books on psychology.

"What do you think?" Drusilla asked

"It's alright," Spike replied

Drusilla seated him down on the bed.

"What's your preferred medication?" she asked

"Nothing too strong," Spike replied

/

Drusilla bandaged up Spike's leg and arm wounds, and gave him some pills.

"Thanks again for doing this," Spike said

"You're welcome," Drusilla replied, "But I really think you should pay a visit to the hospital."

"Nah. Once my system pushes the bullets out, it'll start to heal faster."

"OK."

Drusilla then noticed the hole in Spike's coat.

"Is that another bullet?" she gasped

"Oh, don't worry," Spike assured, "It didn't go through."

"Are you sure? It looks so…"

Drusilla reached inside the coat to where the bullet had gone through, and took out a small notebook that had a metal cover. The cover had been warped by the bullet but barely penetrated. The paper inside hadn't been ruined.

"What's this?" she asked

"Oh, that's…" Spike tried to reach for the book, but his arm hurt too much, "…it's nothing."

Before Spike could stop her, Drusilla opened the book. It contained poems, hand-written in ink.

"Did you write these?"

"Yeah, some of them," Spike said, "But there's nothing to see…"

Drusilla turned the page and saw what Spike had been afraid she would see.

"My Dark Haired Beauty…" Drusilla read the title out-loud, then began reading in her head, "…Spike, did you write this about me?"

The slayer was terrified. _**This is going to be like Cecily all over again**_, he thought.

"Yeah," Spike admitted

"It's beautiful."

"I-it'll sound a lot better when I finish it," Spike admitted

"Okay," Drusilla closed the book, and handed it back to Spike, "I look forward to reading the rest."

Spike hesitated for a moment.

"Drusilla…how psychic are you?" he asked

"I have my moments. Why do you ask?"

"Do you know what I'm thinking right now?"

"Oh yes," Drusilla grinned

The two of them began to kiss. Drusilla got a bit too excited, and her vampire face showed.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Drusilla covered her fangs and ridges

Spike wasn't surprised when her face showed. If anything, it fascinated him. The curvature of her ridges, the sharpness of her fangs, the alluring yellow glow of her eyes...

"I don't mind," Spike said

Spike gently pulled Drusilla's hands off her face, and resumed kissing her.

/

/

/

To Be Continued...


	12. Prophecy Guy: Part 1

/

/

/

The Bronze

/

Xander returned from the bar, back to the table where Cordelia and Willow were sitting.

"Cordy, give us a minute?" he asked

"Fine," Cordelia sighed

She got up, and walked back to Kevin.

"So…" Xander began, "I'm not sure how to say this."

"Say what?" Willow asked, "Oh god! Are you breaking up with me? You're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

"No!" Xander said quickly, "It's just…you know how I feel about you. It's, uh, pretty obvious, isn't it? There's never been anyone else for me... but you."

"Uh huh," Willow nodded, enthusiastically

"Would you, um... take me to the Spring Fling? Oh that's good! Take me! It's terrible, right?"

"Yeah, pretty terrible," Willow agreed, "But yes, I will go to the Spring Fling _**with**_ you."

"Good. I mean thanks…no, that's not right either."

/

Suddenly, the entire building began to shake. Xander and Willow had lived in California long enough to recognize an earthquake.

"Stairs!" Xander yelled

He took Willow by the hand, leading her under the metal stairs.

/

Spike and Oz had been outside when the earthquake struck. They were now lying on the ground, unable to maintain their balance. When the earthquake was over, Spike nervously got to his feet, and helped Oz up.

"What the hell did we just smoke?" Spike asked

/

_**Insert Buffy intro here.**_

/

The next day…

/

Cordelia and Kevin walked down the halls of Sunnydale High, discussing the plans for the spring fling.

"I'll get everything tonight after practice," Kevin said, "The guys'll help me."

"Well, it's all in the A-V room," Cordelia replied, "The sound system, and the decorations... And, oh, Aura needs help, um, moving the coolers.

"Don't sweat it."

"Well, bring everything to the Bronze, and I'll meet you there in the morning!"

"Done!"

"You're so sweet!" Cordelia giggled, "Why're you so sweet?"

"I dunno, 'Cause I'm usually mean as a snake!"

The two of them kissed.

"I just have to find another guy to help us move the stuff," Kevin said, "Larry can't make it."

"Oh. Um…what about him?" Cordelia pointed to Spike, who was looking through his locker, "He's pretty strong."

"That guy?" Kevin was unsure, "Is he the one who burnt that flag?"

"I was actually there when that happened," Cordelia admitted, "I think he was just trying to put out a fire."

"OK," Kevin shrugged, "Uh, hey…English guy!"

Spike turned round.

"You talkin' to me?" he asked

"We need some help tonight, moving stuff for the Spring Fling. You wanna join us?"

"Sure," Spike shrugged, "I got nothing better to do."

"Great. Be at school at seven."

"Cool."

"And uh, come by the Bronze in the morning to help set up," Cordelia added, "Around eight?"

"Fine."

Spike slammed his locker shut.

"See you then…"

/

Spike walked into the library, hearing Drusilla talking with Giles. He hid himself from them, intending to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"It can't be, you've got it wrong," Drusilla croaked

"I've checked it against all my other volumes," Giles replied, "And I've gone over the translations, there are no errors."

"So you can't do anything to change it?" Drusilla asked, in a panic

"It's a prophecy," Giles reminded, "Some of them can be broken, or can be false, but in the case of the Pergamum codex, every single one of its prophecies has come true."

"No!" Drusilla stamped her foot on the ground, almost snapping off the high-heel of her shoe, "He can't! I won't let him!"

"Drusilla, I'm sorry, but tomorrow night, The Master will rise, and Spike will die by his hand."

Drusilla let out a terrified laugh. Spike had forgotten he was supposed to be hiding.

"Are you serious?" he asked

Giles and Drusilla turned to him. They did not mean for him to hear that.

"Spike, I…" Giles began

"Are you serious?" Spike repeated, "I'm going to die tomorrow?"

"I didn't intend for you to find out this way," Giles said

"I would have found out sooner or later."

"The, um, Pergamum Codex is a centuries-old book of prophecies," Giles attempted to explain, "I wish there was some way to change it, but…"

Drusilla began to cry.

"It's alright, Dru," Spike said, "I don't care."

This surprised Giles.

"Spike, it's alright if you're afraid," Giles said, "You don't have to hide it."

"Hide what?" Spike asked, solemnly, "I've been waiting for death since some guy from the bloody council showed up and told me I had to kill vampires. Only difference is now I know how much time I have left."

/

Spike walked out of the library, passing Kevin on the way.

"Oi, mate," Spike said, "I can't help you out tonight. Something came up."

"Oh, okay," Kevin was slightly disappointed

"But I'll come by the Bronze in the morning, give you a hand."

"Cool. See you then."

/

Spike walked down the halls of the school, planning what he would do that night. He had 24 hours to live, so he had to make it count. But where to start?

"Mr. Summers, what are you doing walking the halls at this hour?" Principal Snyder demanded, walking up to him, "Planning another flag burning, are we?"

Spike grabbed the man by his tie, and gave it a good strong tug. Snyder's face collided into the nearest locker, with a loud slam. Blood and a couple of teeth fell out of the man's mouth, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Thirsty now…" Spike muttered

/

/

/

To be continued…


	13. Prophecy Guy: Part 2

The Summers House…

/

Spike sat on his bed, contemplating what he had done with his remaining time on earth. He had divided up his time between Oz and Joyce, hanging out at The Bronze with the former and watching Passions and having dinner with the latter. In the morning, he planned on helping to set up The Bronze for the dance. It might make a good final-impression on everyone, bring in a few more people to his funeral.

"Spike?" Joyce walked in, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "Why do you ask?"

"You just seemed a bit…off…today," Joyce admitted

"Oh, well, school's been getting me down," Spike lied

"I know, but you've been handling it well," Joyce said, "I'm proud of you, Spike."

"I know," Spike replied

He was trying not to look Joyce in the eye, it hurt him. Spike knew that she would take his death the hardest.

"No, really, I am," Joyce continued, "And I got you a little something to show you just how proud I am."

She walked to the wardrobe, and opened it up. There was a brand new pair of boots in it. Motorcycle boots, black leather ones.

"Those are just like…" Spike began

"…the ones in your poster," Joyce said, referring to Spike's Sex Pistols poster, "I saw you eyeing them in the military surplus store."

Spike got off the bed, enthusiastically.

"Can you...afford these?" he asked

"Yeah. I bought them with the money we've saved from not having to pay hospital bills."

She was referring to incidents in LA and England, before Spike had gained control of his powers.

"They're fantastic," Spike said, "You know Sid Vicious wanted to be buried in his motorcycle boots?"

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Joyce joked

She had meant it as a joke, but it had a very hard impact on Spike.

/

The next morning…

/

Spike, Willow, and Cordelia walked down the school corridors, towards the AV room. Spike was still allowed into the school, since Principal Snyder didn't remember their altercation from the previous night. Or what color the sky was…

"Kevin said that he'd bring everything to the Bronze last night!" Cordelia sighed, "He promised! We'll never get everything ready in time!"

"Well, I'm here to help," Spike reminded

"Oh yeah, thanks for that," Cordelia muttered

"Kevin probably just forgot," Willow replied "It's not that big a deal."

"Uh, you don't understand. I'm not mad!" Cordelia revealed, "I don't even care. I just keep thinking how cute he is! Oh..."

Cordelia looked through the Audio-Visual Room, and saw Kevin and his friends lying on the sofa, facing the TV.

"There they are! They fell asleep watching cartoons. That's so cu...that's not cute. That's annoying. I'm annoyed," Cordelia insisted

"You look downright furious," Willow said

"Men. I don't know why I put up with them."

"Yeah, we're not that great," Spike muttered

"Hey, if you guys could wake them up, I'll go start the car," Cordelia offered

"Okay," Willow agreed

Cordelia began walking away. Spike reached to the door.

"Um, Spike," Willow began, "Giles called me last night and, uh, told me about that prophecy. If you want to talk about it…"

"Nah," Spike shook his head, "I'm fine, really."

"But…you're going to die."

"I know. Willow, being a slayer isn't fun, it's just one tiring fight after another. Finally being able to lay my body down and find sweet release really appeals to me. And right now, knowing that it will happen…I just feel so good."

Spike's expression backed up his statement. Willow had never seen him so relaxed.

"Well when you put it that way…"

"Yeah. Don't worry about me. Spring Fling tonight, remember? Dance all night and beg for more?"

Willow couldn't help but smile.

/

Spike opened the AV Club door, and walked inside.

"Guys, wake up…" he called

All of a sudden, Spike took in his surroundings. All of the boys were dead, drained of blood. Most of it had ended up on the walls, some even on the ceiling. Willow saw it too, and screamed. Spike tried to run out of the room, but he slipped and fell face-down onto a pool of blood. The still-warm, sticky substance was on his clothes, face, and hands. Spike covered his eyes, terrified.

"Not again…"

/

/

/

To be continued…


	14. Prophecy Guy: Part 3

/

/

/

The Master was conversing with the Anointed One in his lair.

"…and tonight, you will lead the Slayer to me, and I will defeat him," The Master explained, "It will be easy for me, as I am one of the most powerful vampires in existence."

He paused.

"I am also not a fool," he added, "I do know there is a chance that a slayer could defeat me. Although it is a very small chance, I do not wish to leave the Order without a leader."

The Master took a leather-bound book from a shelf, and handed it to the Anointed One.

"If I fail tonight, you'll have to track these two down," The Master instructed, "They'll help you rise to power in my absence."

The Anointed One studied the book.

"I've heard of that man," he admitted, "He would make a suitable leader."

He turned the page, and was confused by what he saw.

"What kind of a name is Buffy?"

/

Spike stood in his room, preparing himself. He had on all black, including his new boots. In his coat were two stakes, a crucifix, and a railroad spike. He intended to take The Master down with him.

"Where's my walkman…?" Spike muttered

There was a knock at his bedroom door.

"Enter," Spike muttered, going through his pile of stuff

It was Drusilla. She was wearing her black dress, and looking very sad.

"Hello, Brave Knight," she said

"Hey, Dru," Spike replied

"What are you doing?"

"Gearing up," Spike replied

"So you're going to face The Master?"

"Got no choice."

"There's always a choice."

"Not this time. I can't let anyone else get hurt under my watch."

"I can stop you."

Drusilla threateningly held up her hands. Spike responded by whipping out his crucifix. Drusilla let out a little whimper as Spike backed her into a corner.

"I hate to do this," Spike announced, "I hate to go off and die before we can really take our relationship somewhere. I hate being a slayer. I hate that tonight I'll die trying to stop one vampire and tomorrow an even bigger threat will rise. But if I don't fight The Master, everyone in Sunnydale is doomed."

Spike reached to the window, and opened it. He began to climb out.

"Do me a favor, look after my mum," Spike said, "She's gonna take this pretty hard."

He tossed the crucifix at Drusilla, then dived outside. Once she was sure Spike was gone, Drusilla smiled. Everything had gone according to plan.

/

Spike walked away from the house, and down the street. According to Giles, the Anointed One would lead him to The Master.

"Will you help me?"

A little kid stood by the street sign, looking worried.

"You're the Annoying One?" Spike asked

"Anointed One!" the kid snapped

"Whatever. Are you going to take me to The Master?"

The Anointed One reluctantly led Spike away. Spike had no idea that the Anointed One was a child; he had planned to ask that to anyone who approached him.

/

Oz was in his room, lying on his bed and listening to the record that Spike had lent him. He was in a state of confusion, not sure how to feel about Spike dying. Oz was one of the lucky few in Sunnydale who had never lost someone close to them, so it was a new experience for him.

"Daniel?" someone called

Oz looked up, and opened the window. Drusilla was standing outside, on the ledge.

"Hello, Daniel," she smiled

"No one's called me that in years," Oz informed

"Sorry. May I enter?"

"Sure."

Drusilla stepped into Oz's room.

"Do you want to come with me and save Spike?"

"I thought he was destined to die?"

"I've forseen a tiny loophole in the codex."

"Alright."

Oz got up, and slid his shoes back on.

"Will we be out past midnight?" Oz asked, "It's fine if we are, I just gotta let mom know."

/

The Anointed One led Spike to The Master's underground lair. It was cavernous, with pools of blood and water, all lit by candlelight.

"Welcome…" The Master announced

Spike looked around, trying to see where The Master was. His voice was echoing throughout the lair.

"I'm ready to fight you," Spike informed

He reached into his coat, and took out his stake.

"You came prepared," The Master noted

"Yeah."

"Just the stake? Nothing else?"

"Well, I was going to build a bomb," Spike said, sarcastically, "And detonate as soon as you came close to me and kill us both in a fiery blaze."

"Why didn't you?"

"Cos' I don't know how to build a bomb," Spike shrugged

The Master let out a short but sincere laugh.

"Did you have any other ideas?"

"Well, Plan B was to snort a load of cocaine and come down here with an assault rifle."

"But you couldn't get cocaine and an assault rifle?"

"I probably could have, but then I remembered that this isn't Scarface."

There was an awkward pause.

"I guess you don't get movies down here?" Spike asked

"No."

The Master suddenly appeared in front of Spike; he was incredibly fast.

"OK, plan C to insult you to death, but with a face like that, you've probably heard them all…"

"I think we'll skip the banter, move to the part to me killing you," The Master decided

/

Oz and Drusilla left Oz's house, and began walking to The Master's lair.

"So, this Master guy, do I know him?" Oz asked

"He's an ancient vampire dedicated to ending the world," Drusilla replied

"So I wouldn't have seen him around?"

"Didn't Spike tell you about him?" Drusilla was surprised

"Whenever Spike talks about slaying, I just zone out," Oz admitted, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Dracula as much as everyone else in my English class…"

Drusilla shuddered at the memory of Dracula.

/

Giles and Ms. Calendar sat at the table in the library, studying their ancient books.

"The vampires have been gathering," Giles was listing what they did know, "They know he's coming, and they plan to act as his army."

"Has The Master tried this before?" Ms. Calendar asked

"The last time he tried to rise was the Harvest," Giles remembered, "He sent several vampires to get him fresh blood."

"Well, where did that go down?" Ms. Calendar asked

"The Bronze," Giles realized

"And that's where they're having the prom!" Ms. Calendar remembered, "All those students!"

"We have to warn them," Giles announced

He began to get up.

"No!" Ms. Calendar stopped Giles, "I'll go. You have to focus on killing whatever demon is awakened."

Ms. Calendar started to leave the library.

"Be careful!" Giles warned

/

The Master grabbed Spike by the throat, and lifted him up.

"Oh crap!" Spike groaned

"Are you afraid?" The Master grinned

"What? No!" Spike sneered, "I just remembered, I didn't lock the front door when I left the house!"

Spike kicked him in the groin.

"Ooooorrrrh!" The Master wheezed

Spike pushed past The Master, intending to find a place in the cavern to hide, but then The Master held up his hand. Spike froze, ensnared by his hypnotic powers.

/

In the school parking lot, Ms. Calendar dug in her bag for her keys as she headed for the car. She wondered what would happen if the vampires got to the Bronze before she did. Then she looked up, and realized she didn't need to worry about that. Out onto the field she saw a hoard of vampires approaching. Across the parking lot, there were more of them. Even more of them were blocking the way out. Ms. Calendar was surrounded.

/

"You tried," The Master said, "It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything."

The Master leaned in closer to Spike.

"You're the one that sets me free!" he grinned, "If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that!"

He sunk his fangs into Spike's neck, and took a few sips of his blood. Slayer blood tasted so good.

"Oh, the power!" The Master exhaled

He turned to Spike. The Master was tempted to snap his neck, or rip out his internal organs, but then he saw a pool of water, and had an idea.

"I'm going to give you something that few slayers get," The Master whispered

He shoved Spike into the water, face-first.  
>"A natural death…"<p>

The Master stepped over to the edge of his confines.

"By the way," he looked back at Spike, "I like those boots."

The Master pushed against the field. He forced his hand through, and his confines broke down in a burst of light and energy. He started up and out of his lair…

/

/

/

To be continued…


	15. Prophecy Guy: Part 4

/

/

/

Oz and Drusilla made it to The Master's lair through the network of sewer pipes. They saw The Master rising from his confines.

"We're too late," Oz said

"Not quite," Drusilla held Oz back

She waited for The Master to leave, then they advanced towards Spike. Oz pulled him out of the water.

"Oh god!" Drusilla cried, "He's dead!"

/

The vampires advanced on Ms. Calendar.

"Wait, why are you coming here?" Ms. Calendar asked out loud

She backed against a car, and tried to find a way out. It looked hopeless, then she heard the rev of an engine. Cordelia drove up to her.

"Get in!" she yelled

Ms. Calendar got into Cordelia's car without hesitation.

"I was sitting where Kevin and I used to park, and all of a sudden these things are coming at me!" Cordelia explained

A vampire jumped on top of the car.

"We have to get back to the library!" Ms. Calendar insisted

"Library? Great!"

She put the car into reverse, and did a full U-turn, sending the vampire flying off the car. Cordelia then drove to the front of the school, then sped right through the doors…

/

Oz examined his friend.

"No, he's not dead."

"But he isn't breathing!"

"If he drowned, then there's still a chance. CPR."

"You'll have to do it. I don't breathe."

"OK," Oz nodded

He knelt down next to Spike, but then got back up.

"Wait, I saw you smoke the other day," he reminded

"I'm able to smoke, but I cannot breathe to…" Drusilla let out an aggravated sigh, "I'll explain it later. Can you just do it?"

Oz took off his jacket and knelt down by Spike. He began to do the procedure, as he had learnt in health class. Breath air into the lungs, pump the chest. Breath air into the lungs, pump the chest. Oz repeated the process for about a minute, but then realized that it wasn't doing anything. Drusilla looked away. Oz got up off the ground, ready to abandon all hope.

"Huuuuurrrhhh!" Spike coughed up the water in his lungs

"You're alive!" Drusilla hugged him

"Yeah," Spike nodded, out of breath

He felt his lips.

"Did you…give me mouth-to-mouth?" Spike asked, turning to Oz

"Yeah," Oz nodded

Spike thought for a moment.

"Not bad," he said

"Thanks."

Drusilla let out a little growl.

"Right, The Master," Spike changed the subject, "Where'd he go?"

"He's risen," Oz replied

"His lackeys?"

"Most likely out for blood," Drusilla replied

"And…I drowned?"

"Yeah," Oz nodded

"So…I was dead," Spike summarized, "That means…"

"The prophecy is fulfilled, Brave Knight," Drusilla announced, "Now you can go finish The Master off."

Spike reached to the ground, and picked up his stake.

"Let's go…"

/

Giles looked up, hearing the noise coming from the hallways.

"What the devil…?" he began

There was the sound of a car screeching to a halt. Cordelia and Ms. Calendar ran through the doors, closing them just before the vampires came inside.

"What's going on?" Giles demanded

"I'll give you three guesses!" Ms. Calendar snapped

The vampires attempted to make their way through the doors; one punched his hand through the window. Cordelia began hitting him with a sign. At once, Giles began placing things in front of the door.

"Why are they coming here?" Giles exclaimed

Unbeknownst to them, a slimy pale tentacle had begun worming its way out of the crack in the floor…

/

The three of them walked out of The Master's lair, and to the school.

"Do you know where The Master's going?" Oz asked

"I know," Spike replied, determined

A large vampire attempted to block their way into the school. Spike knocked him down with a single punch.

/

They made it into the school. Spike opened the door to the roof.

"You two stay here, try and keep the vamps away," Spike instructed

He gave Oz his crucifix.

"Drusilla, might want to get that game face on," Spike advised

"Already done," she announced

Spike began to walk up the stairs.

"Hey Spike!" Oz called

"Yeah?" he turned around

"Those are awesome boots."

"Thanks."

/

The Master stood on the roof, looking down through the skylight at the creature from the Hellmouth.

"Yes, come forth, my child, come into my world," he said eagerly

"It ain't your world," Spike said

The Master turned around, and saw Spike.

"You're dead!" The Master gasped

"I know you are, but what am I?"

/

It was getting worse in the library; the Hellmouth monster had its tentacles wrapped around Cordelia's leg, and it was taking all Ms. Calendar's strength to stop it from pulling the poor girl into hell. Giles would have helped her, but he was busy fending off the vampires.

/

Spike punched The Master in the face, barely fazing him. He went for a roundhouse kick, which knocked the vampire down a bit, but not enough. The Master reached out his hand, attempting to use his powers on Spike again.

"Kneel before me," The Master ordered

"Why, you want me to suck you off?" Spike snorted

The hypnosis failure (and Spike's crudeness) surprised The Master; catching him off guard, Spike jammed his railroad spike into the vampire's hand, pinning his fingers to his palm.

"Aaah!" The Master roared with pain

Spike tried the kick again. The Master grabbed Spike's leg, Spike responded by swinging his other leg into the side of The Master's head. The Master punched Spike in the face, Spike twisted the railroad spike in the vamp's hand, then head-butted him.

"Your feeble Slayer strength will not be enough to stop me," The Master informed, "I will create hell on earth!"

"Yeah?" Spike retorted, "Well..."

He couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he delivered a barrage of punches into The Master, then tripped him up, sending him falling through the roof and to the library below. Lucky for Spike, a broken table impaled his heart. The Master screamed as he decomposed. Everything except his bones turned to dust. At once, the Hellmouth monster disappeared, shrinking back down into hell.

/

Cordelia and Ms. Calendar pushed the printer out of the way of the door, allowing Spike, Oz, and Drusilla to enter.

"Are the vampires gone?" Giles asked

"Yep," Oz nodded

"What about The Master?" Drusilla asked

"Dead," Giles replied, "And the Hellmouth is closed. Spike? …Spike?"

"Yeah?" Spike looked up, "Sorry, kind of distracted."

"He died tonight," Oz chimed in

"Seriously?" Cordelia tilted her head slightly, "He doesn't look dead."

"You should see me in the morning," Spike retorted

/

"So what do we do now?" Cordelia asked

"There's that dance at the Bronze tonight," Ms. Calendar reminded them

"There is no way I'm showing up without a date," Cordelia sighed

Spike caught Oz's eye and indicated Cordelia, mouthing "go for it".

"I'll go with you," Oz offered

Cordelia studied Oz. He was kind of short, but he _was_ in a band. Plus he was a sophomore.

"Okay. But I've been through a lot, don't take advantage of me."

"Fine," he shrugged

"Rupert? Are you in?" Ms. Calendar asked

"I suppose, um, if you're offering, I could…escort you?" Giles asked

Ms. Calendar smiled.

"Excellent," she said

Cordelia, Oz, and Giles followed Ms. Calendar out the door.

"I'm not dancing," he warned

"We'll see…" she replied

/

Spike and Drusilla were left alone.

"You don't fancy going to the dance?" Drusilla asked

"God no," Spike shook his head, "I just got an extension on my life. I'm not wasting it at bloody school dances."

"I quite agree…"

Drusilla reached down the front of her dress, and took out Spike's poetry book.

"I found this posted under my door," she said

"Um, yeah, about that," Spike began, "I wanted to leave you something of mine. You know, when I died."

"You didn't finish the poem about me," Drusilla reminded

"No," he admitted, "Sorry."

"Hm," Drusilla seductively snaked her arms around Spike, and leaned in close to him, "Why don't you come back to my place? I'll see if I can make you **_finish_**."

Spike's heart raced. No girl had ever said anything like that to him.

"That sounds good," Spike managed to say

"Wonderful," Drusilla smiled

The two of them walked out of the library. For the first time in a while, Spike was glad to be alive.

"By the way," Drusilla added, "Those are lovely boots."

"Yeah, they're pretty cool..."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	16. When He Was Good

/

/

/

It was a dark night in Sunnydale. Oz and Willow were walking down the street; the two of them had been out for ice cream.

"Thanks for letting me get the large cone," Willow said, "And for walking me home."

"You're welcome," Oz replied

"I don't like to walk around at night alone. With all the vampires and stuff."

"It'll get better," Oz said

"Well, maybe when all the vampires find out you guys took down The Master, they'll just pack up and go?"

Oz raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"It could happen!" Willow argued

/

They turned a corner.

"So, I was thinking, we should do this again…" Oz began

Suddenly, a vampire leapt in front of them, letting out a roar. Willow screamed, Oz got in front of her, acting as a human shield. He held out his crucifix, but the vampire kept moving about, almost too fast for Oz to keep up with.

"Oi! You with the fangs!" someone yelled

Spike appeared from behind a wall, leaping out and jamming his stake into the vampire.

"Spike! You're back!" Willow observed

"Yeah, I'm aware of that," Spike replied sarcastically

/

Spike pocketed his stake and sat down against the wall to catch his breath.

"How was LA?" Oz asked

"It was alright," Spike replied, "I did get to see my dad, but most of the people I knew there had either forgotten me or moved."

"That sucks," Oz noted

"Yeah. Even looked up my old science tutor, thought maybe she'd want to do something," Spike continued, "They told me that the last time anyone had seen her was at the library. Six months ago."

Spike decided to change the subject.

"But enough about me. What did you lot get up to?" he asked

"Oh, well, it was a pretty uneventful summer," Willow admitted

"Most exciting thing was burying The Master," Oz said, "It was cool, we used holy water and everything."

"And we got to wear robes while doing it!" Willow reminded

/

Joyce and Hank Summers were in Spike's room, unpacking his bags.

"Okay, this is the last of it," Hank said

"Good," Joyce hung Spike's coat up on the wall, "I appreciate you buying Spike those new clothes. It's such a hassle to get him to go shopping."

"Well, anything to spend time with him," Hank replied

"He didn't get into any trouble, did he?" Joyce asked

"No, he was alright. But…" Hank sighed, "Spike's so different, it's almost like he's someone else. For one thing, he's going by Spike now."

Joyce could tell where Hank was going with the conversation. She didn't like it.

"He's always gone by Spike," Joyce reminded

"Yeah, but he'd only let us call him that. And he doesn't wear his glasses…"

"20:20 vision _is_ a slayer trait."

"I know, but what about the hair, the black clothing, the rougher accent?"

Hank paused, unsure whether it was a good idea to say his next sentence.

"Do you think it's still…the incident...in London?" he asked

It was a rather painful subject for the two parents.

"The…incident had a big effect on him," Joyce replied, uneasily, "I doubt you could ever recover from something like that…"

/

_One year ago. London, England…_

/

_William Summers ran through the school corridor, his bag slamming against his side. He was late for school, something that almost never happened._

"_Nine oh-five…" he checked his watch, "I'll be in time to catch the end of first period…"_

_The slayer returned to tying his tie as he ran. He managed to do it with one hand and button his blazer with the other. His classroom was just up ahead. William observed that the blinds had been drawn, and the lights were out.__** Perhaps they're watching a movie**__, the boy thought to himself._

"_I'm so sorry I'm late, Mr. Stevens!" William said, entering the classroom, "I think mum must have forgotten to wake me!"_

_There was no reply from his teacher._

"_Um…I'm sorry, were we having a minutes' silence or something?" William asked_

"_No," came a reply_

_William froze. He knew that voice._

"_Lucifer?" he asked, nervously_

_Suddenly, the lights flickered on. The classroom was filled with dead bodies. Blood was spattered all over the walls. They were Spike's classmates, his friends, a lot of them he had known since the first day primary school. And they were all dead. At the front of the class stood a vampire, clad in an Afghan coat and a fedora. He had his game-face on, and looked very full._

"_Hello, William," Lucifer grinned_

"_You…you…you…" William was so horrified, he couldn't form words_

"_I warned you not to disrupt my business."_

_Lucifer punched William in the face, knocking him down and breaking his glasses. William hastily tried to get back up; he reached into his satchel and attempted to take out his small crossbow. The trigger snagged on a loose thread, and the arrow was fired through a nearby window. Lucifer laughed, then hit William again. The slayer was knocked back down, but this time he was too afraid to even get up. Realizing this, Lucifer began kicking him repeatedly in the stomach._

_"P-please, stop!" William begged_

_Lucifer lifted up his heeled boot, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to William's head. Then he stopped._

"_You know what?" Lucifer said, "If I kill you, chances are a competent Slayer might take your place. So I think I'll let you live. For now."_

_He walked to the basement door, where his secret passage to the sewer was. William was left lying on the ground, broken, traumatized, and defeated._

"_See you around, William…"_

/

/

/

To be continued…

**A/N: Next Chapter is School Hard, Part 1**


	17. School Hard: Part 1

**A/N: I'd really appreciate feedback on my portrayal of Buffy (I don't mean to sound like a review-whore; I just want to know if I'm doing it right).**

/

/

/

Spike and Xander were in Principal Snyder's office, awaiting their punishment. They had been fighting again. Xander had a black eye, Spike's shirt was torn.

"So I have my least stable student and my least successful student in my office," Principal Snyder said, condescendingly, "It's a dream come true."

"Hey, I'm very stable," Spike retorted, "He just provoked me."

"Well he keeps stealing my girlfriend!" Xander argued

"She's helping me study!" Spike sighed

"Yeah, every night this week!"

"Well we're dealing with some real shi…!"

"Hey!" Snyder barked, "I don't care what's going on between you two, just settle it in your own time! Both of you are skating on thin ice."

Snyder suddenly looked very happy. And anyone who knew Snyder knew that when he was happy, someone was about to get very sad.

"I've got an idea," he said, a sinister smile on his face, "I'm going to have you two organize Parent-Teacher Night this Friday. If you can work together, and if the night goes perfectly, then you both get off Scott-free for your out-of-line behavior."

"And if it's not perfect?" Xander asked

"Then your parents will be coming to clean out your lockers."

/

The two of them exited Principal Snyder's office.

"I guess I'm going to have to work with you," Xander said disdainfully

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "I'm not too thrilled about it either."

"Don't think you can slack off and make me do all the work."

"Same goes for you."

"Fine."

"Good."

The two of them glared at each other. Then Xander tried to kick Spike, Spike grabbed his leg, Xander punched Spike in the face…

"Hey!" Willow yelled

She ran over to them.

"What is it this time?" she sighed

Spike explained the situation to her.

"Well that doesn't sound so bad," Willow said, "Hang some decorations, make some punch, that's not too hard?"

"Yeah, so long as nothing goes wrong between now and Friday night," Spike shrugged

Xander and Willow looked at Spike with shock.

"Why would you say that?" Willow chastised Spike, "It's the ultimate jinx!"

"What?"

"Now something will go wrong!" Xander groaned

"Are you people all stoned?" Spike sighed, "Believe me, nothing's going to happen."

/

Nighttime…

/

A car roared through the streets of Sunnydale, crashing into the '**Welcome to Sunnydale**' sign. It screeched to halt. The door opened, and the driver stepped out. She was a beautiful petite blonde, dressed in stylish clothing. She had on her vampire face and was smiling eagerly, her fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

"Home, sweet, home," she said

Then the passenger door opened, and a startled-looking vampire stumbled out. He was deathly pale, and looked as if he'd been to hell and back. Or as if he'd been in the car when Buffy was driving.

"OK, I'm doing the driving for the next fifty years!" Angelus growled

"Oh, come on," Buffy simpered, "I wasn't so bad!"

Angelus pointed to the sign Buffy had run over.

"Oops…"

/

The Warehouse…

/

The remaining members of the Order of Aurelius were gathered at The Warehouse. Delgado, an older vampire, was attempting to rally them into an attack on the Slayer.

"The Master's resurrection has failed," Delgado said, "We need to replace him."

"Whoever replaces him will share his fate at the hands of the Slayer," another vampire reminded

"Then let the creature who kills the slayer take up The Master's mantle," Delgado replied

"Can you do it?" The Anointed One sighed

"Of course," Delgado nodded, "This weekend, on the night of St. Vigeous, our powers will be greatly enhanced. When I execute the Slayer, it will be the greatest event in our history since the crucifixion. And I should know."

He paused for dramatic effect.

"I was there," he grinned

"Really?" Buffy asked, "Because I've heard the same thing from vampires who sat through too many showings of 'Last Temptation'."

Everyone turned to the factory entrance, where Buffy stood. She had on a high-cut pale-blue dress and black high-heeled boots. Very cute, but not exactly intimidating.

"No, I **was** there," Delgado repeated, insistently

"Uh huh…" Buffy nodded, mockingly, "And next you're going to tell me your name's Lestat?"

"I should rip your throat out," Delgado growled

Buffy roundhouse-kicked Delgado in the face, then grabbed his shirt collar and hurled him into a stack of crates.

"So, who do you kill for fun around here?" she asked

"Who are you?" The Anointed One demanded

"I'm Buffy, the Vampire Slayer."

Buffy realized what she had just said.

"But I'm not a slayer!" she corrected herself, "People call me that because I've killed a lot of slayers, so I'm like…the vampire's version of a slayer, because I kill slayers, like a slayer kills vampires...do you get it?"

"Yes," The Anointed One said, hoping she would stop talking

"So, you've got a slayer problem? You know how I deal with Slayers? I kill them."

"Have you killed one before?" The Anointed One asked

"Uh huh. Um…there was this one in the Boxer Rebellion, I either killed her because she was a slayer or because I was jealous of her tiny waist, then there was one who I…"

Suddenly, an aura of terror formed in the room, as if something completely devoid of humanity had entered. Everyone felt it. A vampire entered the room; he was wearing black clothing and a leather coat, and looked as if he was suffering.

"Angelus…" the Anointed One knew it couldn't be anyone else

"In the flesh," he replied, in his faded Irish accent, "I understand you've been looking for us?"

"The Master recommended you two personally," The Anointed One said, "He said you're the ones best qualified to take his place."

Angelus looked around.

"Honestly, I don't go for all this secret-society robes-and-hellfire shit," Angelus admitted, "But who am I to turn down violence and a free room?"

"If you can kill the slayer, we'll give you all the violence you want," The Anointed One informed

"Buffy will do it," Angelus said, "I'm afraid I'm out of action for a while."

Angelus opened his shirt. There was a small wooden pick impaled in his chest.

"Some Van Helsing wannabe got to me," Angelus explained, "If this thing gets any closer to my heart, I'm a goner. I can't risk going out."

Angelus almost collapsed; Buffy ran to his side, helping him up.

"Are you alright?" Buffy asked

"Fine," Angelus wheezed, "I just need to…lie down."

"Let him use the spare room," the Anointed One orders

One of the members of the Order helped Angelus up the stairs.

"So…" Buffy turned to the Anointed One, "This slayer. Is she tough?"

/

"Ow!" Spike groaned, "Ow! Ow!"

"Spike?" Joyce asked

She opened the door to his room, finding him shirtless and holding a needle and thread. There was a gash on his arm.

"Hey mum," Spike muttered, "Kind of in the middle of something here."

"Are you stitching yourself again?" Joyce sighed, "Spike, we've talked about this!"

"It's just a little stab wound!" Spike protested, "It wasn't even by a vampire, just by some meth-head."

"What were you doing with a…meth-head?"

"He was in the alley behind the liquor store."

"What were you doing at the…? Never mind. Your principal called. When were you going to tell me about Parent Teacher Night?"

Spike cut the thread, and put down the needle.

"It slipped my mind. I've been busy lately."

"Busy with what?"

"Well…a cult of vampires, some mad scientists…plus the Bronze had some cool bands lined up last week."

"Honey, we've moved twice because of school troubles," Joyce reminded, "I'd like you to be able to stay at Sunnydale High. Right now, it's the best place for you."

"Yeah, I guess," Spike shrugged

"So, I'll be at Parent Teacher Night on Friday. I look forward to meeting your Principal."

/

/

/

To be continued…

**Author's Notes:**

*** Angelus speaks in a faded Irish accent because that was his original accent.**

*** The vampire 'Delgado' wasn't named in the Buffy episode, so I decided to name him. Fans of classic Doctor Who will get the reference.**

*** '**_**Last Temptation**_**' is short for '**_**The Last Temptation of Christ**_**', a movie about the crucifixion.**


	18. School Hard: Part 2

/

/

/

Spike and Xander were putting up decorations for Parents Evening. Well, they had been. At that moment, Spike had Xander in a full-nelson, and was preparing to slam his head into a locker. Willow, Cordelia, and Oz arrived, and took in the sight.

"Should we stop them?" Oz asked

"You can try..." Willow sighed

Xander managed to get free of Spike, and kicked him in the back.

"It's kind of flattering really," Cordelia said, "They're practically fighting over you. I love it when guys fight over me."

"Yeah, but what if they hurt each other?" Willow asked

"I'll stop them," Oz said, "Hey guys! Snyder is coming!"

The two boys immediately let go of each other, then realized that Principal Snyder was nowhere to be seen.

"So how's the decorating going?" Willow asked, desperate to distract them from fighting

"Fine," Spike muttered

"Are those all the banners?" Willow asked, "Are you going to hang them up?"

"We were, but we can't decide on using thumbtacks or duct tape," Xander replied

"Thumbtacks look better!" Spike argued

"Duct tape is stronger!" Xander counter-argued

"Does it _even_ matter?" Cordelia asked, sounding irritated

Awkward silence.

"…No," Spike admitted

/

Willow and Oz began helping out. Cordelia sat around and talked about herself.

"You know, I think this might work out," Xander said

"Yeah, could be alright," Spike shrugged

Giles and Ms. Calendar approached the gang.

"Oh fuck…" Spike groaned, upon seeing them

"That's nice," Ms. Calendar said, sarcastically

"Well whenever he shows up, it's never anything good, it's always something about my death or bloody impending doom," Spike argued, "Never asks me about my personal life or anything."

"I'm your Watcher, I'm not supposed to get involved with your personal life," Giles retorted

"So I guess you won't want an invite to my birthday party?" Spike teased

Giles shot Spike an angry look. Ms. Calendar let out a little laugh, and tried to hide it from the Watcher.

"Seriously, mate, what is it?" Spike asked, "I ain't got all day."

"The Night of Saint Vigeous is this Saturday," Giles informed

"Oh no, I haven't even gotten my decorations out yet," Spike fake-complained

"Saint Vigeous led a crusade, of, of, uh, vampires," Giles explained, "They swept through Edessa, Harran, and points east."

"And didn't leave much behind," Ms. Calendar added

"I'll see what I can do," Spike muttered

"It's a bit more serious than that," Giles said

"More serious than getting thrown out of school?"

/

Later, The Bronze…

/

Spike and Oz sat at their regular table with Drusilla and Cordelia. It was a bit awkward, since they were very different people.

"So…you're a vampire?" Cordelia asked

"That's right," Drusilla nodded

"My last boyfriend was killed by a vampire," Cordelia said

"Oh…um...I'm sorry?" Drusilla attempted

"It's okay. It wasn't the first time."

"So what does everyone want to drink?" Spike decided to change the subject

/

Spike got up to order the drinks. On his way to the bar, he heard something interesting.

"Can I use your phone to call the police?" Buffy asked, "Someone outside is getting bitten!"

Spike did a ninety-degree turn, heading for the exit. In the alley, Delgado was attempting to feed off a poor young woman.

"Back off!" Spike yelled

Delgado hurled the woman aside, and assumed a fighting stance. He and Spike circled each other, preparing to strike. There was something about the guy that told Spike he was a proud warrior, not just another vampire out for a snack. Spike knew a way to use that to his advantage.

"I like that goatee," Spike said, "Really makes you look classic-evil."

"Thank you," Delgado growled

"Did you have that when you were sired, or did you grow it?"

"I grew it about twenty years ago."

"Huh. I wasn't sure if vampires could grow facial hair."

"We can, but it takes…"

Spike lunged forward, impaling Delgado's heart with his stake. He barely lasted two seconds before turning to dust.

"Getting him to talk," Buffy observed, "Cute trick."

She stepped out of the shadows, revealing herself to Spike.

"Who are you?" he asked

Buffy walked up to Spike, and kicked the stake out of his hand. She then tripped him up, and pinned his arms to the ground. Spike attempted to throw her off, but she was a lot stronger than he thought. Buffy laughed at Spike's struggling.

"I'm Buffy. I'm the one who's going to be killing you on Saturday. Here's a little preview."

She slammed her forehead into Spike's nose, then leapt up.

"Ow!" Spike groaned

"Oh, lighten up," the vampire teased, "Your slayer healing will fix it in about five minutes."

/

"Buffy?" Giles repeated

"That's what she said," Spike replied, "_I'm Buffy. I'm the one who's going to be killing you on Saturday_. Then I was about to stake her, but she managed to get away from me."

"I've heard that name before," Willow said, "You mentioned it once."

"Yes…" Giles struggled to remember where it was, "Something about…Drusilla!"

"The group that she travelled with!" Willow remembered, "It was Buffy, Drusilla, Darla, and…someone else."

She turned to Spike.

"Spike, did Drusilla tell you about them?" Willow asked

"She doesn't like to talk about her...pre-soul days," Spike admitted

"We'll look them up," Giles said, "Spike, you might want to call Drusilla in."

"I dunno about that," Spike said, "If this girl is from her past, maybe we should leave Dru out of this."

"Yeah, I think he's right," Oz backed Spike up, "I've seen all those pills she takes."

"She takes pills? That's kind of weird," Willow said

"Yes, the concept of a crazy vampire is unheard of," Giles muttered

"That's the last time you get to call her crazy," Spike warned

/

Giles went to his office to look through the Watcher Diaries.

"So…" Oz made sure that Giles was gone, "Just how…unstable…is Drusilla?"

Spike thought about what Drusilla had told him about her past.

"As long as she takes her pills, she's alright," Spike explained, "But she did have some…stuff done to her."

"Like surgery?" Willow asked

"Brain surgery," Spike corrected, "She was lobotomized three times."

"Three times?" Willow repeated, in disbelief

"It kept growing back."

/

The library doors opened, revealing Drusilla.

"Dru," Spike stood up

"Hello, Brave Knight," Drusilla said

"I was hoping you'd show up," Spike said

"Trouble?" Drusilla asked, "I thought I sensed something."

"Dru…" Spike began, "Do you…you know someone called Buffy?"

Feelings of terror and apprehension shot through Drusilla.

"Buffy's in Sunnydale?" she asked

"Spike met her at The Bronze," Oz said

"Oh no," Drusilla sighed, "This is bad. Very bad. Very, very, very bad.

"You know her?" Spike asked

"Oh yes," it was a very painful subject for Drusilla, "She's very powerful and incredibly determined. Once she's decided to do something, she will never give up."

"You think Spike could beat her?" Willow asked

"I don't know, it's not a bloody football match!" Drusilla snapped

/

The Warehouse...

/

Angelus was lying in bed as Buffy attended to him. She gently lifted his head up and placed a small pillow under it.

"Thanks…" Angelus managed to say

"Do you need anything else?" Buffy asked

"I could use…something to eat," Angelus said, weakly

"There's a human downstairs that the Order's gang-feeding," Buffy suggested

"Yeah, alright," Angelus nodded, "Actually, feed yourself first. Just save me a glass."

"I'll save you two," Buffy smiled

"I love you…" Angelus kissed her, "And as soon as I can get this damn thing out of my chest, I'll show you just how much."

"I'm looking forward to it," Buffy said

Angelus lifted his head slightly. He could hear the members of the order chanting in Latin.

"What are they doing?" Angelus asked

"Cleansing themselves," Buffy said, with disdain, "Apparently, it prepares them for the Saint...Vigorous...night."

"You should join them," Angelus advised

"Do I hafta?" Buffy asked, looking annoyed

"I want to stay on the Anointed One's good list. He's offering the kind of annihilation that we've only dreamt of."

"Alright…" Buffy sighed

/

/

/

To be continued…

**Author's Note:**

*** Buffy-verse vampires ****_can _****grow facial hair (at one point, Angelus had a moustache).**


	19. School Hard: Part 3

/

/

/

Parent-Teacher Night…

/

The night was going surprisingly well. At first everything had seemed tense and awkward, but after some intervention from Spike, everyone had begun to loosen up. The slayer sat by the refreshment table, monitoring the punch bowl.

"Well, Summers," Snyder approached the slayer, "I'm not sure what to make of this night."

"Try the punch," Spike offered, "See how you feel."

"Alright…"

Spike handed Snyder a cup. He drank it.

"Not bad…" he muttered, "For an obvious powder-mix."

"Have another," Spike said, offering a second cup

Snyder drank it quicker than he had the first cup. He tried not to make it obvious that he was enjoying it.

"So where's that Harris boy?"

"Showing his parents around," Spike said, "Said they were going to the science lab."

Snyder began to walk away.

"Wait!" Spike handed Snyder another cup of punch, "One for the road?"

Snyder reluctantly took it.

/

Oz was in the library with Giles and Ms. Calendar. The two faculty members were researching Buffy, Oz was sharpening some stakes.

"Ah, here she is," Giles said

"Who?" Ms. Calendar asked

"Our friend Buffy," Giles said, "According to these records, she's also known as Elizabeth the Bloody. She was sired in 1880, so she's barely over a hundred, that's good news…oh dear."

"Is it something bad?" Ms. Calendar asked

"Very bad," Giles said, "Buffy's fought two slayers in the last century, and killed them both."

Oz looked over to Giles.

"You've got two pages stuck together," the boy pointed out

"Oh!" Giles let out a quiet laugh at his mistake, "Well, that's a relief."

Giles unstuck the two pages, and read them correctly. He looked rather alarmed.

"What does it say?" Ms. Calendar asked

"She's killed **four **slayers."

/

Spike continued to pour out cups of punch. Willow approached him.

"H-how's it going?" she asked

"Not bad," Spike said, "You were right. Punch and banners, that's all it is."

"People do seem to be enjoying your punch," she said

"Yeah, figured they would," Spike said, "Used a secret ingredient."

He opened his coat, revealing a bottle of gin.

"Spike!" Willow gasped

"What? Just trying to loosen people up."

"But you can't…" Willow began

"Willow!" Mrs. Rosenberg called, "Your father and I would like to talk about your schoolwork!"

Spike gave her a little smile. Willow sighed.

"Two cups, please."

/

It got late, most people had left. Joyce had finally arrived, and found Spike.

"Alright, mum?" Spike asked, "Hard day at work?"

"It was okay," Joyce said

"You sell anything?"

"As a matter of fact, the Mayor came in and bought a marble sculpture," Joyce said, "His daughter was with him. At least I hope she was his daughter…"

Principal Snyder approached Joyce.

"Ah, Mrs. Summers, I've been looking for you," he said

"Something wrong?" she asked

"Yes, I've wanted to speak to you about…"

Snyder leaned against the table. He slipped and fell to the ground.

"Are you alright?" Joyce asked

"F-fine," Snyder replied, trying to get back up, "I think I should go sit down…"

Snyder began to walk to his office.

"Is he always like that?" Joyce asked nervously

"Well, the man likes the occasional drink during school hours," Spike lied, "But, you know, his job is pretty stressful, so we try and look past it."

/

As he left the room, Principal Snyder turned out the lights. The moment he did, two vampires, one of them Buffy, came crashing through the window. Broken glass scattered across the room. As soon as the first two were clear, several more jumped in. The humans in the room were too scared to move. Buffy saw Spike, and faced him.

"I thought I'd surprise you," she teased

Spike wasn't sure what to do.

"No one gets out! Grab the slayer!" Buffy yelled

The vampires began to attack. Spike's plan was to run to the wall, grab the fire extinguisher, spray it on the crowd of vampires and confuse them. He did grab the fire extinguisher, but in a panic he accidentally threw it out the window. At that point, Spike decided to go with his second plan.

"Run! Everyone run!" Spike yelled

/

Spike led a crowd down the halls, away from the vampires. Willow and Cordelia took a different route; a couple of people weren't fast enough, and the vampires got them. Spike's crowd headed towards a large storage closet.

"We can hold out in there," Spike panted, pointing to it

"Will we be safe?" Joyce asked

"Yeah," Spike panted, "As long as we…"

Then Spike realized something.

"Why am I running?" he exclaimed

Spike turned around, and yanked out his stake. He charged at the two vampires, and at the last second outstretched his arms, clothes-lining both vamps. They fell to the floor, and Spike staked them both. Spike then ran to the closet, facing his mother.

"Barricade the door, don't make any noise, don't try to leave." he ordered

/

Giles, Ms. Calendar, and Oz had locked the door to the library.

"What do we now?" Oz asked, "Should we call the cops?"

"They've cut the phone lines."

Giles looked over to the small window behind one of the bookcases. Then he looked to Oz. How short was the boy? Could he do it?

"Oz, do you think…"

Oz could tell what Giles was going to ask.

"I can fit through it," he interrupted

"I'm sorry to ask…" Giles began

"It's fine. I do this every time Dad gets locked out of the house."

"Right…go outside, get Drusilla. Be quick about it."

/

Spike crept through the school, trying to be as quiet as possible. He fastened himself against the wall, and peered around the corner. Five vampires were approaching. This would be tricky. Spike looked around for a weapon. There was the trophy cabinet, a metal table, and a fire hose. It occurred to Spike that if he had a priest with him, then the fire hose would practically be a flamethrower.

"Spike!" Xander hissed

Spike turned and saw Xander sticking his head out of a closet.

"Get in!" Xander ordered

Spike quickly got into the closet. It was very small, he and Xander were pressed against each other.

"Why are they here?" Xander demanded, "Willow said that Night of Saint…whatever…was tomorrow!"

"I don't know! Ask Giles!" Spike snapped

"Well how do we get rid of them?"

Spike thought for a moment.

"Are you willing to risk your life?" he asked

Xander thought for a moment.

"Yeah," he nodded

"Well, vampires do enjoy virgin blood," Spike said, "Maybe if we offered them some, they'd go away."

"What does that have to do with me…?" Xander realized what Spike meant, "Shut up!"

"OK, new plan," Spike said, "I need to get to the library."

"You want to study?" Xander was confused

"That's what you think Willow and I do in the library?" Spike asked, "Wait, that didn't sound right…"

/

Xander loosened the closet's air vent, and he and Spike climbed into the ceiling.

"So, the library?" Xander asked

"Yeah. I got my swords and shit there."

"Swords work on vampires?"

"If you swing them fast enough."

"Well, I don't swing the way you're used to..." Xander began

Spike held up a finger to silence Xander. He waited a few seconds.

"Thought I heard something," Spike said, "Never mind."

They continued to climb along the ceiling tiles. Spike attempted to get his bearings straight.

"Library should be...this way," he said

They made a sharp right turn.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Xander asked

"Yeah, sense of direction is a slayer skill."

"What other skills do you have?"

Spike sighed. He was tired of having that conversation with everyone.

"The strength, then there's the healing, the skill to kill vampires..."

"Skill?"

"Yeah. It sort of comes to me, whenever I'm fighting."

"Cool. What else?"

"Well, Giles says I should be able to recognize vampires on sight, but the damn thing only works half the time."

/

Spike turned another corner, and motioned for Xander to approach him.

"We should be right above the library," Spike said

Xander nodded. Spike gently pried open the air vent, and climbed down. Xander followed him.

"The lights are out," Xander noticed

"I know," Spike replied "I got this."

He took out a silver Zippo lighter, and flicked it to life. The faint light revealed they were in a storage closet, almost identical to the one they had escaped from.

"Wow, really impressive sense of direction..." Xander muttered

"Oh, like you were much better."

"At least the vampires aren't here because of ME."

"You know if it wasn't for me, you'd probably be sporting fangs right now?"

"Yeah right..."

The closet door opened. Xander and Spike turned to face Buffy.

"Are you guys going to keep arguing, or are you going to go ahead and screw each other?" she asked, "Because I'd like a front row seat if it's the latter."

She morphed into her vampire face, and charged at Spike...

/

/

/

To be continued...

**Author's notes:**

*** The bit about the priest and a fire hose refers to holy water burning vampires.**

*** Originally I was going to have Buffy kill seven slayers, like seven seasons of Buffy, but I decided that didn't seem possible.**


	20. School Hard: Part 4

**A/N: Who do you think the next slayer should be? I could just stick with Kendra, or I could have another Buffy-verse character (male or female) take her place. What would you prefer?**

/

/

/

Spike charged forward and collided with Buffy, managing to slam her out of the closet and shove her against the wall. Xander remained in the closet, crippled with fear. Before Buffy could fight back, Spike began hitting her as hard and as fast as he could, hoping that she wouldn't be able to think clearly. Unfortunately, she could. Buffy kicked Spike in the stomach and knocked him on the floor.

"Word of advice, don't try and fight fast," Buffy said, "It just shows how desperate and vulnerable you are."

She got down and grabbed Spike's hair and right ear, and prepared to snap his neck. Then she heard a familiar voice. An eery English voice, singing softly.

"Run and catch, run and catch, the lamb is loose in the blackberry patch…"

Drusilla revealed herself, walking in from out of the shadows. Buffy's heart raced, she let go of Spike's head.

"Hello, Elizabeth," Drusilla said, softly

"Drusilla!" Buffy smiled with joy

She got off Spike, stood up and eagerly hugged Drusilla.

"I haven't seen you since World War II! Remember the submarine? God, you were so weird then! More than usual."

"Yes, all the tin soldiers were so frightened of the bad men…" Drusilla was trying to speak like she did before she was ensouled

"When did you get here?" Buffy asked

"I felt your presence. Something pulled me here."

Drusilla circled Spike, and winked at him. Spike had never seen Drusilla act that way, so creepy and child-like.

"I see you've bagged a slayer," Drusilla observed

"Yep. Wanna watch me kill him?"

"Can we do it together? I've always wanted to end a slayer's life."

"Sure."

Drusilla crouched down next to Buffy, placing her hands on Spike's head. Then Buffy hit Drusilla in the face, catching her off-guard.

"You think you can fool me?" Buffy was furious, "You were my sire! My...Yoda!"

"Things change," Drusilla said, switching back to her normal voice

Buffy gave Drusilla a powerful slap.

"Not us! Not demons! You're a...changing-demon-betrayer!"

Buffy looked like she was about to cry.

"Why would you do this to me?"

"Buffy, I've changed for the better," Drusilla announced, "I'm no longer interested in random violence."

"Right, now you're only interested in hooking up with a slayer!" Buffy was furious, "Do you hate me or something?"

Buffy shoved Drusilla against a window, shattering the glass and disorientating her. Spike took out his railroad spike, but Buffy grabbed his staking arm and twisted it, forcing Spike to drop it. She then kicked Spike's side, still holding onto his arm, flooring him.

"I guess this makes you number five," Buffy said, preparing (again) to break Spike's neck

Before Buffy could kill Spike, there was a loud clang as something collided with her head. Xander stood behind Buffy, holding a lead pipe he had found in the closet.

"Get the hell away from my friend," he warned

/

Buffy looked up, and realized that Spike wasn't acting alone. She wasn't equipped to fight a slayer, her sire, and…whoever that guy was.

"Retreat!" Buffy announced, "Withdraw! Everyone out!"

She took off running, the remaining vampires following her out the door.

/

Spike dusted himself off. Drusilla ran to his side.

"Did she hurt you?" she asked

"Nah, I'll be alright," Spike replied, "Good thing you came when you did."

He turned to Xander.

"Thanks, mate," Spike said, extending his hand, "You really saved my ass tonight."

Xander glanced at Spike's hand, then reluctantly shook it.

"No problem," Xander murmured

/

Later...

/

Buffy and the members of the Order had made it back to the warehouse. The Order members made their way to their rooms; they didn't want to be around The Anointed One when he heard about Buffy's failure. Angelus, on the other hand, was eager to see his girl again.

"How did it go?" Angelus asked

One look at Buffy's disappointed expression answered the question for Angelus.

"Did he hurt you?" Angelus asked

"Only my pride. I didn't think he'd have friends who…"

Angelus noticed that The Anointed One was glaring at them.

"Uh, Buffy, you should probably talk to the little guy," Angelus interrupted, "He's not pleased."

"Oh. Gotcha."

Buffy walked to the Anointed One, and knelt before him.

"Are you offering penance?" the Anointed One asked

Buffy thought for a moment. She could easily just kneel there and beg for forgiveness, or...

"No," she said, bluntly

"You dare defy the Anointed One?" the vampire guarding The Anointed One demanded to know

"I don't think you get how this works," Buffy said, standing up, "We're the ones with the power. Maybe one day you would have been useful, but right now, all I see is some kiddy-vampire playing leader."

She picked the Anointed One up, and threw him into a cage. The Anointed One's guard tried to stop her, but Buffy knocked him down with one kick.

"That's my girl…" Angelus muttered

Buffy grabbed the chain attached to the cage, and began pulling at it, lifting the cage up into the sunlight.

"From now on, we're going to be doing things differently around here," Buffy announced, between tugs of the chain, "We're going to be having a lot less penance and rituals, and a lot more fun."

The Anointed One was young, he burnt up very quickly, screaming the whole time. Once he was reduced to ashes, Buffy turned to Angel.

"I think I'm going to go pick out what I'll wear tomorrow," she decided

The two of them walked out of the room before The Anointed One's ashes even had time to cool.

/

/

/

To be continued...

**Note: the line _"I haven't seen you since World War II! Remember the submarine?"_ is a reference to the Angel episode 'Why We Fight'.**


	21. Halloween: Part 1

**A/N: Thank you everyone who gave me feedback and/or constructive criticism on my story, I really appreciate it.**

/

/

/

Spike was at the pumpkin patch, fighting a couple of vampires (there was a third one hiding in the shadows, filming the fight). Drusilla was reduced to the role of spectator, watching eagerly from the sidelines; Spike claimed he needed the workout.

"Dru, after this…" Spike slammed his railroad spike into the side of a vampire's head, "You wanna go to the Bronze?"

The vampire (not Drusilla) screamed, and desperately tried to get the spike out of his head.

"I'd like it if we could just go to the pub, have a quiet drink," Drusilla said

"Fine…" the other vampire kicked Spike hard, "Ow! That's enough!"

Spike punched the vampire incredibly hard; his fist broke through the vampire's ribcage. The vampire and the slayer were equally surprised.

"Get it out! Get it out!" the vampire yelled, panicking

"Shut up! I'm trying!" Spike insisted, also panicking

He yanked his fist out; it was covered in blood and organ fragments. Spike and the vampire stared at it for a minute, disgusted. Drusilla, on the other hand, was very intrigued.

"That was the most disgust…" the vampire began

Spike staked him.

"So, quiet drink at the pub?" Spike suggested, eager to forget what had just happened, "After you."

"Such a gentleman," Drusilla noted, "Very hard to find these days."

/

Sunnydale High, the next day...

/

Principal Snyder was forcing students to sign up for the Halloween volunteer safety program. He approached Spike and Oz, who had just left class, and thrust a clipboard in Spike's direction.

"You're volunteering," Snyder demanded, giving Spike a pen

Spike gave Snyder the death-glare of a lifetime; the principal could feel himself getting smaller. Snyder tried to turn his attention on Oz, thrusting the clipboard at him, but nothing could pierce the boy's armor of stoicism.

"This…this behavior won't be tolerated in my school!" Snyder insisted

Snyder tried to give them detention, or Saturday school, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. He backed away. The slayer and the rocker moved on.

/

"So how's Cordelia?" Spike asked

"She's alright," Oz replied, "Took her to my band practice last night."

"And…?"

"She told us that we sounded bland and it was blatantly obvious we only knew three chords."

"Well that's a little harsh. I wouldn't say_** blatantly**_ obvious…"

Willow caught up to the boys.

"Spike, here are those notes from class you asked for," Willow said, handing him a couple of pieces of paper

"H-hey Willow," Oz managed to say

"Hi," Willow replied nonchalantly

"Ta," Spike slipped the papers into his backpack, "You heading to Maths?"

"Yeah..."

"I'd advise you take the long route," Spike said, "Snyder's in recruitment mode."

"Oh, um, thanks," Willow was glad to have received the warning, "So...are you two going to the Bronze tonight, the Halloween party?"

Spike said no, Oz said yes, which contradicted what he and Spike had planned.

"We...might show," Oz said, desperate to spend time with Willow outside of school

"Great," Willow smiled, "Can't wait to see your costumes."

She turned around and went through a corridor, going the long way to the Math lab.

/

Spike and Oz walked to the student lounge, and took their seats.

"Thought we were gonna drunk and watch Friday the 13th tonight?" Spike asked

"We can do that any other night," Oz said, "But a Halloween party is a once a year thing."

Spike let out a loud groan, and fell back into his chair.

"Not a fan of Halloween?" Oz asked

"No," Spike replied, bluntly

"Did you have a bad experience?"

"Nah, it's just so...crass."

"I'll buy the drinks," Oz offered

Spike shot up enthusiastically.

"So, where do we get costumes?" he asked

/

The costume shop was a new place, simply called "The Costume Shop". It was filled with people; mothers with their kids, teenagers buying cheap costumes, that sort of crowd. The moment Spike stepped inside, he knew he shouldn't have let Oz persuade him to come.

"So what are you going to get?" Spike asked

"Just need a sword and a ski-mask, I'll say I'm a ninja," Oz said

He drifted away from Spike, searching the racks of costumes for what he needed. Spike took a closer look around the store. Everything that they sold, the costumes and accessories, all seemed so juvenile, and not the fun kind of juvenile.

"Spike?" Amy Madison asked

"Yeah?" he turned to face her, "Oh, Amy. How are you?"

Spike hadn't seen Amy much since their encounter the previous year.

"Good," Amy replied, "I'm working here now."

"Cool."

"I've got something that would look great on you, if you're interested."

"I'm not, really," Spike admitted

"Can you at least look at it? Trust me, you'll like it."

"Alright…"

/

Spike followed Amy to another room, where the higher quality costumes were. Amy indicated a mannequin that was wearing a Victorian-era suit. It consisted of a maroon jacket and waistcoat, dark brown trousers, and a white shirt with an imperial collar and a thin black tie. There was a fob keychain dangling from one pocket to another. Draped over the shoulders was a black Inverness cape.

"So what do you think?" Amy asked, eagerly

"It's nice, but it's not me," Spike admitted frankly

"But it's from the Victorian Era. Isn't your girlfriend into that stuff?" Amy asked

"Yeah."

"Then why don't you rent this?" Amy suggested, "I think she'd get a kick out of it."

Spike couldn't argue with that, he figured Drusilla probably missed the getups of her time.

"Alright," Spike gave in, "How much?"

"Oh, I've got this," Amy said, "You're the Slayer. I probably owe you my life anyway."

"Thanks."

/

Amy placed the suit in a bag for Spike. He began to carry it out of the store, when he ran into Willow.

"What have you got?" Willow asked, indicating his costume

"Victorian Gentleman," Spike answered, "You?"

Willow held up a green suit and a pair of gold gloves.

"I'm going as Jean Grey," Willow explained

"Who?"

"Jean Grey? Marvel-Girl?" Willow attempted, "From the X-Men?"

"Got no idea, sorry."

"Neither do I, really," Willow admitted, "I'm just doing it for Xander. She's his favorite comic book character."

"Ah," Spike nodded, "Well..."

Spike felt the tight material of the suit in his hand.

"With you in that suit, I'll bet a lot of people will be having a happy Halloween..." he teased

Spike left. Willow thought for a moment, then grabbed a ghost costume off the rack, just in case.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	22. Halloween: Part 2

/

/

/

Buffy, Angelus, and several other vampires were in the warehouse, watching the tape of Spike and Drusilla's fight. Buffy was rather enthralled by Spike. Angelus was also enthralled, but by Drusilla. He missed her, he wanted her back on their side.

"Pass the popcorn," Buffy said

One vampire handed the box to Buffy.

"Do you see how Spike uses that railroad...spike?" Buffy said, annoyed that she used the same word twice, "He can really improvise."

In the video, Spike jammed his fist through the vampire's ribcage.

"Ah!" everyone winced

"I didn't know slayers could do that!" a vampire commented

"He fights like one of us, like he's got nothing to lose," Buffy noted, "Hey, maybe we should sire him?"

Awkward silence. Everyone stared at Buffy.

"Sire this guy?" Angelus repeated, condescendingly, "Buffy, we KILL slayers. That's all their good for."

/

The Summers house…

/

Spike tied his tie, and buttoned the waistcoat. His hair wasn't exactly 1880s, so he had bought a brown wig. Oz was sitting on Spike's bed, wearing a black ski mask and swinging with his toy sword.

"Are you ready yet?" Oz asked

"Give us a minute," Spike adjusted the waistcoat

Oz fell back on the bed. He looked around the room.

"What's 'Thunderbirds'?" Oz asked, referring to one of Spike's posters

"It was a TV show in the 60s," Spike replied

"Any good?"

"It was alright."

Spike turned around.

"How do I look?" he asked

"Fine. Now can we go?"

/

The two of them left Spike's house, and began to walk to the Bronze. A lot of trick-or-treaters were in the neighborhood, led by students who weren't lucky enough to have avoided Snyder.

"Shall we start?" Spike asked, referring to the drinking

"Sure."

Spike reached into the waistcoat, and took out a stake, a plastic knife, and a flask.

"What's with the toy knife?" Oz asked

"Dunno. It came with the costume."

/

Willow's house...

/

Willow looked in the mirror at her costume. The suit was tighter than she had anticipated, but at least she had a gold sash tied around her waist. Still, she felt very self-conscious. The years of bullying and parental oppression had left the redhead unable to see how beautiful she was.

"OK," Willow took a deep breath, "I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna go for it."

The downstairs door opened, and Xander walked into the house.

"Will! You ready?" Xander called

"Almost!" Willow said

She took another look at herself.

"You can do this," she assured herself, "You can…"

"Go on up, Alexander," Mrs. Rosenberg said

Willow panicked, and grabbed the ghost costume from her closet.

/

The Costume Shop…

/

Amy locked the front door, and drew the blinds.

"It's safe," Amy announced

The store owner stepped out of the backroom. It was Ethan Rayne.

"No one can see us?" he asked

"Yes."

"Good girl. Now, let's begin."

/

The two of them went into the backroom. Ethan put on his sorcery robe, then offered one to Amy.

"Not a chance," she said, refusing it

"Your generation, you lot have no respect for tradition," Ethan taunted

The two of them knelt before the statue of Janus, which was surrounded by candles.

"Give me your hands," Ethan ordered

Amy reluctantly complied. To her surprise, Ethan had cut her palms. His were also cut.

"Ow!" Amy winced

"Now, we will say the sacred chant," Ethan ignored Amy's pain, "You simply have to copy what I do"

Ethan cleared his throat.

"The world that denies thee, thou inhabit," he recited

He dabbed the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger and smeared it over his right eyelid. Amy did the same, reluctantly.

"The peace that ignores thee…"

He dabbed the blood from his right hand with his left middle finger and smeared it over his left eyelid. Again, Amy did the same.

"…thou corrupt."

He dabbed the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger again, and smeared a cross onto his forehead. Amy's cross was a little off, but it did the trick.

"Chaos. We remain, as ever, thy faithful, degenerate children…"

/

Willow and Cordelia stood on the curb by the Bronze, waiting for everyone to show. Willow had on her ghost costume and Cordelia was dressed like a sexy cat.

"Where's Xander?" Cordelia asked

"He stopped to help Harmony fix her car," Willow said, "He told me to go on ahead."

"Is Drusilla going to be here?" Cordelia asked, disdainfully

"Probably, she…" Willow stopped mid-sentence, "Cordelia, do you feel…"

Suddenly, a strange force shot through her, and many other people in town. The Chaos magic had taken over. Willow quickly died, becoming a ghost. One minute, Oz was putting his plastic sword away. The next, he was unholstering a centuries-old katana. Spike became a Victoria-era gentleman, though not just any Victorian gentleman (Amy didn't tell him what the costume was really supposed to be). Cordelia stayed the same. Sometime later, she would regret buying her costume from Party Town and not being able to join the events of that night.

/

Spike was panicking. He found himself in a strange fantasy cross-section, where demons, witches, scoundrels, reavers, and other such beasts roamed the streets. He turned around and bumped into Oz, who was in full ninja gear.

"What's going on? What's happening? Who are you?" Spike demanded

Oz held up his hand to silence and calm down Spike.

"_Don't worry,_" Oz spoke in Japanese, with a Feudal-era accent, "_Stay with me, everything will be fine._"

The moment Oz finished the sentence, three monsters (a werewolf, a vampire, and a Frankenstein) approached them. Spike cowered behind Oz.

"Take him, leave me!" Spike begged

Oz stared down the monsters.

"_I can easily defeat you three, but I would prefer not to fight_," Oz warned, still speaking Japanese, "_You should leave before I have to hurt you._"

They ignored his warning. Oz holstered his sword, kicked the werewolf in the throat, dislocated the vampire's shoulder, and ripped off the Frankenstein's bolts. They scarpered away.

"_Do not say I did not warn you…_"  
>

/

/

To be continued…


	23. Halloween: Part 3

**A/N: Does anyone mind if I start adding chapters more frequently?**

/

/

/

Willow?" Cordelia sighed, "I know you're just trying to get my attention. Willow!"

Cordelia gave her a little nudge. Then another one. Then several. She wasn't moving. Suddenly, Willow rose from her body, in spectral form. She no longer wore her ghost costume, but her Jean Grey costume.

"What's going on?" Willow asked, nervously

Cordelia stuck her hand through Willow's chest.

"You're a ghost…" Cordelia said, slightly scared

"Oh my god, really?" Willow croaked

"Well…at least you look cute," Cordelia shrugged

"Really?" Willow's eyes lit up

"Yeah. And your skin's so pale, you already looked dead."

Then that the two girls noticed what was going on around them, all the people who had turned into their costumes. And some of the costumes were pretty dangerous; there were some pirates who were chasing a group of girls down the street. Willow saw a ninja fighting off several different monsters. One of the monsters she had seen before, it was a costume worn by a kid trick-or-treating…oh no.

"Stop!" Willow screeched

She ran to the ninja, just as one of the monsters ripped his hood off, revealing Oz.

"Oz, what are you doing?" Willow demanded, "Don't hurt the kids!"

Oz stared at her for a moment, trying to comprehend what she had said.

"I…do not…understand," he attempted

Willow let out a groan.

"Okay, something weird's happening, but it'll be alright," she assured, "We just need to find Spike…"

Suddenly, a car drove by, and someone screamed loudly. Willow turned around and saw Spike hiding behind a tree.

"Demons at every turn!" he exclaimed, "What's happening!"

Cordelia ran over to Willow and Oz.

"What's Spike doing?" Cordelia asked, "Is he stoned?"

She turned to Oz.

"Oz, what's he been doing?" Cordelia sighed, "It's not anything from a needle, right?"

"_I am afraid I do not understand your language,_" Oz said, in Japanese

"_Why are you speaking Japanese?_" Cordelia asked, in Japanese

"You speak Japanese?" Willow asked, surprised

"Yeah, my dad's making me take lessons," Cordelia sighed, "He says it's the language of the future."

Willow tried to wrap her mind around everything that was going on.

"Okay, so everyone's become their costumes, I'm a ghost, Spike's…not Spike, you're speaking Japanese, and everyone else is…" Willow then came to a conclusion, "We need Giles."

"Definitely," Cordelia agreed

"You keep these two out of trouble, I'll go find him," Willow ordered, "He said he'd be at the library all night."

"Why can't you stay with them?" Cordelia complained

"Because I can't touch anything!"

"Oh yeah…"

/

Buffy was watching the tape of Spike in her bedroom. She had it muted, so no one would know she was watching it AGAIN.

"You think you're so great?" Buffy asked, mockingly, "Just because you kill vampires, and you use improvised weapons, and you've got such a strong jaw line…"

"Buffy!" a vampire burst in, "You would not believe…"

He then saw what Buffy was watching, and where her hand was.

"Sorry…" he muttered

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Buffy yelled

She got up, and straightened herself out.

"What did you want?" she demanded

"I, um, well…I just came from town, and I saw…"

"Say it in five words or less," Buffy demanded

"The slayer is…become…" the vampire groaned, "Look, it's too complicated. You have to see it for yourself."

/

Buffy followed the vampire to the streets of Sunnydale.

"Chaos, fatalities, monsters running wild…" Buffy observed, "Seems normal."

The vampire pointed to Spike, who was flinching and cowering at everything.

"Oh, this is too good," Buffy grinned

"I'll deal with him…" the vampire pulled out a gun

Buffy punched the vampire in the face, almost breaking his neck.

"These things," she picked up his gun, "Never work."

She tossed the gun away.

"I'm going to make a night of this…"

/

Willow made her way to the school, phasing through the walls. She entered the library, and came across Giles and Ms. Calendar.

"Oh my gosh!" Willow covered her eyes

"Willow!" Ms. Calendar exclaimed

"What?" Giles asked her

He turned around, and saw Willow.

"Oh…oh my!" he quickly pulled up his trousers, "Um…"

"Something's happened," Willow said, "I would very much, um, a-appreciate your help."

"Yes, of course," Giles buttoned his shirt, "W-what is it?"

"Well, uh, people turned into their costumes," Willow explained, "Like…Oz was dressed as a ninja, and now…he is one."

"What…were…are you supposed to be?" Ms. Calendar asked

"A ghost," Willow replied

"The ghost of…um, what exactly?" Giles asked

"I think she looks nice," Ms. Calendar defended Willow

"You should have seen what Cordelia was wearing," Willow said, trying to deflect attention from herself, "It was a, um, unitard with cat stuff, like ears and…things."

"Good grief, did she turn into a cat?" Giles asked

"No, she was the same Cordelia."

"No change?" Ms. Calendar asked

"No!" Willow realized, "She said she got her costume from Party Town."

"So where did everyone else get their costumes from?" Ms. Calendar asked

"From some store. The one that Amy works at…" Willow stopped in the middle of the sentence, "Oh."

/

Spike wandered the streets, following Oz and Cordelia. He was more confused than ever, following a tiger-woman and a red-headed housebreaker with a sword. Spike's Victorian persona enjoyed the works of Lewis Carroll as much as the next man, but this was ridiculous.

"You look positively lost," someone said

Spike turned around and saw Buffy. Of course, he didn't know it was Buffy. All he saw was an innocent-looking blonde girl in revealing clothing (revealing by Spike's Victorian standards). Oz and Cordelia walked on, not noticing Spike wasn't with them.

"Yes, I believe am," Spike admitted

"Feeling of out of place?" Buffy asked, "Like you're a stranger in a strange land?"

"Quite. I was about to leave my surgery, when I was suddenly in this strange world."

"Perhaps you left the chloroform bottle open too long?" Buffy asked

"Yes, that would be the most likely scenario."

"I know a private place where you can wait out your trip."

"Pardon me?"

"Wait for the drug to wear off."

"That sounds exquisite. Perhaps you could escort me there?"

"Of course."

Buffy took Spike by the hand, and began to lead him to the nearest abandoned building.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	24. Halloween: Part 4

**A/N: Do you guys mind when I do one-shot chapters? (example: When He Was Bad)**

/

/

/

Buffy led Spike inside the abandoned warehouse. It was darkly lit, not very clean. Large crates were stored inside, atop industrial-sized shelves.

"So, we're alone now," Buffy said, eagerly

"Yes, I suppose we are," Spike replied

Spike stood against the wall, trying to catch his breath. Unbeknownst to him, Buffy was preparing her attack. She advanced on Spike, eager to break his neck.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Spike asked, out of the blue

"No, I don't think you do…" Buffy admitted

"But that voice…what did you say your name was?"

"Just call me Elizabeth."

"Not Elizabeth the Bloody, I hope?" Spike joked

Buffy never thought that Spike would know of her nickname. But then again, Spike was under the impression that he had lived in the period Elizabeth the Bloody gained notoriety in London.  
>"No!" Buffy lied<p>

"It is you, isn't it?" Spike asked, "It's alright, I don't mind. As a matter of fact, I'm sort of a fan."

"Really?"

Discreetly, Spike reached to a shelf, and picked up a crowbar.

"Yes. But, unfortunately, I don't like competition."

Spike turned around, and to Buffy's shock, he slammed the crowbar into her head, knocking her out.

/

Amy walked back into the costume shop, trying not to laugh. She had just been out in town, seeing the panic and chaos that was occurring.

"How is it, my dear?" Ethan asked

"Wonderful," Amy smiled, "It's just like you said."

"That's good to hear," Ethan said, "Any fatalities?"

"No, no one's been hurt," Amy said, gladly

"No one?" Ethan was disappointed, "Well, we'll do better next time…"

/

Buffy woke up, finding herself lying on a metal table. Spike circled her, twirling a surgical knife.

"Oh good, you're awake," Spike smiled sinisterly

Buffy tried to get up, but realized she had been tied down with very strong rope.

"You don't want to mess with me," Buffy warned, "You have no idea what I really am."

Spike sneered at her.

"What are you?" he asked, mockingly

Buffy made her vampire face appear, letting out a growl. Spike was unfazed.

"You're a vampire?" he asked

"Yeah…" Buffy was scared by Spike's casual acceptance

"Excellent. Now I have a **guarantee** that you'll be alive the whole time…"

/

Willow arrived at The Costume Shop, finding Amy and Ethan drinking wine and laughing; Amy had been telling Ethan about what she had seen. They saw Willow.

"Oh, look, it's the ghost of spandex," Amy taunted

"What did you do to me?" Willow demanded

"Wouldn't you like to know…?" Ethan teased

The front door opened, and Giles entered. Suddenly, Ethan wasn't so smug.

"Oh, bugger!" he exclaimed

"Hello, Ethan," Giles said, a dangerous calm in his voice

Ethan looked alarmed.

"Amy, Willow, please wait outside," Giles said

The girls quickly left. Giles removed his jacket and glasses.

"Ripper, old mate," Ethan began

"Just tell me how to undo the spell," Giles demanded

"What's in it for me?" Ethan asked

"You get to live."

"Now, Ripper…"

CRASH!

/

Spike found several crude cutting tools in the warehouse. There were some large knives that he would use later, after using his small knife.

"Now, let's see if I can get this face off in one go," Spike said, dead-serious

He lowered his knife towards Buffy, intent on skinning her alive...

/

Willow and Amy tried to ignore what was going on inside the store.

"So, um, who are you supposed to be?" Amy asked

"Jean Grey. From X-Men. I did it for Xander…" Willow was tired of explaining it

"Oh. Did he…like it?"

"He hasn't seen it yet."

There was a silence.

"Still not going to tell!" Ethan yelled, laughing

The girls heard the cash register opening, and Ethan screaming.

"So, how's Xander?" Amy asked quickly

"Oh, um, he's good," Willow replied, quickly, "Actually, I hope he's okay. He's dressed as a soldier, so…yeah, he'll be fine."

"Good, good to hear."

/

Giles gave Ethan Rayne another kick. He laughed at Giles' fury, whilst balking at the pain.

"How do I undo the spell?" Giles repeated

"Janus! Break its statue!" Ethan laughed

Immediately, Giles ran to the statue and smashed it…

/

Spike came to his senses, realizing where he was. He backed away from the table and dropped the knife, shocked that he had cut into Buffy's face. Unfortunately for Spike, he dropped the knife right next to Buffy's hand. She grabbed the knife, and quickly cut the ropes.

"Hai!" Buffy kicked Spike away

Spike fell back against one of the large shelves. Buffy got up.

"You're too good to be a slayer, you know that?" Buffy asked

"So?" Spike asked

He attempted to kick her, but she caught his foot.

"Let me sire you. You'd be a great vampire."

Spike managed to get loose from Buffy, and kicked her in the face. He searched his pockets for a stake, but then realized it was on the floor. He pushed Buffy aside, and tried to reach down and grabbed the knife. Buffy pushed him hover, pinning him to the ground with her high-heeled boot.

"Must it always go like this?" Spike sighed

"Seriously, Spike. This is a once in a lifetime offer. Let me sire you. You can join Angelus and me. Drusilla will come back to our side if you're on it. And…"

Buffy leaned in closer, very closer.

"I'd let you do me and Drusilla at the same time."

"So?" Spike tried to act like he didn't care

"I didn't ever let Angelus do that," Buffy informed

Before Buffy could lift her head back up, Spike slammed his head into Buffy's nose, breaking it.

"Ow!" she whined

Spike shoved Buffy off of him; she quickly scarpered to the door.

"You just blew your chance to join us," Buffy said, "You'll regret it."

"I don't bloody think so," Spike snorted

"You will. Wait till you see what we're planning, then you'll be kicking yourself for turning down such a…"

Spike picked up his crowbar and threw it at Buffy; she barely ducked in time.

"Bye!" she taunted, quickly running away

/

Willow had returned to her body; eagerly, she got up, and pulled off her ghost costume. She was dying to know if she was tangible or not.

"Willow?" Oz asked

Willow saw Oz standing in front of her.

"Oz!" she hugged him, "Oh, this feels so…"

She realized how close she was.

"Sorry," she backed away, "I just really wanted to touch you."

Oz raised an eyebrow; Willow let out a nervous croak, and hastily tried to explain her double entendre.

"Not you!" Willow said, "I don't want to touch you…I mean, not that I wouldn't…so, wait, who do you think you are?"

"I'm over my ninja phase," Oz informed

"Oh, good," Willow nodded, "So you're okay?"

"Yeah, it's all back to normal."

Oz looked at his katana, which was plastic again.

"Kind of sucks, I could have hocked that sword I had and bought myself a new amp," Oz said

/

Spike left the warehouse, confused by almost everything that had happened. What would drive him to attempt to torture Buffy like that? He knew vaguely what had happened, that something made him think he was a Victorian man who had known Buffy as Elizabeth the Bloody, but it made no sense.

"Spike!" Drusilla ran up to him, "I had a premonition. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "Haven't been feeling myself, but I'm alright."

"Did Buffy try anything? Did she try to hurt you?"

"She…tried, but failed."

Spike told Drusilla about what he had done to Buffy, tying her down and trying to dissect her. He omitted the detail of the fight they had, and Buffy's offer, Spike wasn't comfortable telling Drusilla about it. He also told her (what he could understand) had happened with everyone else, people turning into their costumes.

"Why did you do it?" Drusilla asked, "Or, why would the costume make you do that?"

"No idea," Spike said, "But on the subject…what do you think?"

Drusilla observed the costume. It was reminiscent of a bygone era, not an unkind era, but one of repression, where a man would be inclined to suppress his own thoughts and opinions for the sake of politeness. That was not a quality held by Spike, nor one Drusilla wished to bring out in him.

"It's not you," Drusilla simplified

"Yeah, figured that," Spike said

/

Xander managed to find Willow and Oz.

"You two…" he was out of breath, but then noticed Willow's costume, "Is that a Jean Grey costume?"

He was referring to Willow's costume.

"Yep," Willow said, proudly

"Cool," Xander casually acknowledged it, "Anyway, you two would not believe what happened to me!"

"You turned into your costume?" Oz asked

"I turned into my…" Xander began, "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Oz said

"It's been happening to everyone," Willow explained, "Oz became a ninja, Spike became a Victorian guy…"

Willow let out an exhausted moan.

"Can we go back to your place and fall asleep together?" Willow asked Xander, "I'm so tired."

"Sure," Xander nodded, "Night, Oz."

"Yeah, see ya," Oz muttered

He watched silently with envy as Xander walked away with Willow, laughing and talking with her.

/

Spike's house…

/

Spike emerged from his bathroom, back in his all black T-shirt and jeans. He was carrying his Victorian jacket.

"Well, now I know why I became a serial killer," Spike announced

He tossed his jacket down on the bed, next to Drusilla.

"Read the label," Spike advised

Drusilla looked at it. It read 'Jack the Ripper costume'.

"Bloody hell…" Drusilla muttered, "Good thing you only went after Buffy."

"Yeah," Spike sat down next to Drusilla on the bed, and lit up a cigarette, "Anyway, 20th century Spike is back."

"Will you be alright?" Drusilla asked

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "Got a strange feeling of dread and terror, everything's back to normal."

"I don't understand why you dressed like that."

Spike let out a sigh. It was embarrassing for him.

"I thought I'd try and dress like the kind of guys who were around in your time," he admitted

"Oh," Drusilla laughed, "Spike…I don't want a polite Victorian. I want you."

She gave him a very warm and affectionate hug. Spike was relieved that she wasn't teasing him about his choice.

"Good to know," Spike said

"Just keep being you. Keep being my brave knight."

Spike then remembered something that Buffy had said to him, during their fight. He still didn't want to to tell Drusilla about the fight, but he had heard a name that sounded like it could be trouble.

"Hey Dru, Buffy mentioned someone who sounded important, thought you might know them," Spike said, "Do you mind if I ask you?"

He knew Drusilla wasn't comfortable talking about her past.

"Sure, go ahead," Drusilla advised

"Who's 'Angelus'?"

At that point, a horrified expression appeared on Drusilla's face, like nothing Spike had ever heard before. She then let out a terrified scream that Spike swore made his ears bleed…

/

/

/

To be continued...


	25. What's My Line? Part 1

/

/

/

The Career Fair was being set up at Sunnydale High; lots of people were setting up their booths, many different career choices were being advertised. Spike and Oz sat at a table, filling out a career test. Oz ticked the boxes with ease; for Spike, each question was a constant reminder of his lack of a future.

"Hey, Spike," Willow caught his attention, "What did you put for number seven?"

"I ticked C," Spike replied

"What about number four?" Oz asked

"Also C," Spike replied

"What about…?" Xander began

"C," Spike said

Spike's friends noticed the pattern.

"Not interested in your career aptitude?" Oz asked

"It's not like it matters," Spike reminded, "My future's all demons and vampires, and…sharp things."

"But good job security," Willow joked

Xander gave her a weird look.

"I'm just trying to look on the positive side," Willow defended herself

"Why are you even taking the test?" Xander asked

"It's the latest hoop Snyder's getting me to jump through," Spike replied, "Believe me, if it wasn't for that…"

Spike called Snyder something that made Willow gasp.

"…then I'd be outta here like that."

"Aren't you at all curious about what you could have been?" Willow asked

"Do the words 'sealed in fate' mean nothing to you?" Spike replied condescendingly

Willow looked hurt.

"Huh, you know, with attitude like that, you would have been a great DMV employee," Xander said

Spike let out an aggravated sigh.

"I'm sorry, alright? But unless hell freezes over and every vampire in Sunnydale decides to go for a daylight stroll, I don't need to give my future much thought."

/

The Warehouse…

/

Dalton sat at one end of the table, attempting to decipher an ancient code. Angelus and Buffy stood over him threateningly.

"Well, I'm not sure," Dalton said nervously, "It could be, uh... deprimere... ille... bubula... linter."

"Debase the beef canoe?" Buffy asked

Dalton smiled nervously. Buffy held down Dalton's hand while Angelus stabbed it with a pen.

"Aaaaaah!" Dalton croaked

"Somehow, that didn't sound right," Buffy sighed

Angelus clutched his chest in pain; the splinter was getting closer to his heart, and making him weaker.

"You tried putting hot water on it, right?" Buffy teased

Angelus knocked over the table in fury. Dalton and Buffy backed away.

"I-I'm sorry…" Angelus sighed, "It's just…this isn't getting any easier for me."

"It's alright," Dalton said

"I wasn't talking to you, you four-eyed jerk!" Angelus growled

He turned to Buffy.

"Why don't you throw on something pretty and I'll take you to the mall?" Angelus offered

"Cool," Buffy smiled

"And you…" Angelus grabbed Dalton by the back of his shirt, "Here's a little motivation!"

He threw Dalton to the ground, and began to kick him. Nonchalantly, Buffy picked up his book, and began to flip through it.

"Angelus, don't!" Buffy exclaimed

Angelus halted his foot.

"What? Pain is a great motivator!" he reminded

"No, look at this," Buffy turned the book to Angelus, "The key."

"I know the book's a key," Dalton said

"No, that was a bad translation," Buffy said, "It says YOU NEED TO POSSESS A KEY, not YOU NOW POSSESS A KEY."

She turned the page. There was a drawing of a crypt.

"That looks just like the…" Buffy began

"…one in the cemetery," Angelus completed

He shoved Dalton to the ground.

"Excellent…"

/

Later, after dark…

/

Spike patrolled the cemetery, looking for something to kill. The career fair at school was still on his mind. Spike had known for a long time that he would always be a slayer, but it didn't help having it thrown in his face.

"Got it!" someone yelled

Spike turned to the source of the sound, the crypt. He looked inside, seeing a rather bookish vampire (Dalton) raiding it.

"Call me old fashioned, but I'm a firm believer in respect for the dead," Spike announced, walking in

Dalton saw Spike, and panicked, backing against the wall.

"So, doing a little grave robbery?" Spike asked

"W-who are you?" Dalton demanded to know

"Spike."

Another vampire tried to sneak up on Spike; Spike spun around and kicked the guy, then before he could come to his senses, Spike hit the guy in the face, sending him falling out of the crypt. Spike followed him out. The vampire got up and tried hitting Spike, but Spike grabbed the guy's arm, twisted it, then staked him.

"Now, where were we?" Spike asked, re-entering the tomb.

Too late. Dalton was gone.

/

Spike completed his patrol, and returned home. He came in through the front door, as always. To Spike's surprise, the lights were on. Was someone else in the house? Spike didn't know how to handle a burglar. Burglars didn't turn to dust. Spike heard footsteps upstairs. Avoiding the creaks, he made his way up the stairs. Spike kicked open his bedroom door, hitting Drusilla in the face and sending her falling onto the floor.

"Oh!" Spike exclaimed, "Sorry, luv."

"It's alright…" Drusilla said, sounding hurt

"I've been a bit on edge lately," Spike explained, "School, and all that."

"What was it?" Drusilla asked

"What was what?" Spike asked

"School?"

"Career day."

"Oh my god…" Drusilla rolled her eyes, "That's a real thing? I thought it was just something on television."

"They didn't do it in your time?" Spike asked

"No," Drusilla shook her head, "Well, not for girls. It was pretty much our lot in life to marry young and bear children."

The thought of children made Drusilla sad.

"But, anyway," Drusilla changed her mood, "I heard that your mum was out of town tonight?"

"Yeah."

Drusilla leaned forward, and kissed Spike. He reciprocated, then moved his hand behind Drusilla's back, unzipping the back of her dress. It slid to the ground, leaving her naked. Spike kissed her bare, cool skin, starting at her neck and slowly working his way down…

/

A bit later…

/

After a round of sex, Spike and Drusilla feasted on the food that Drusilla had brought. She had made brandied pears and picked up an order of onion blossoms from The Bronze, remembering Spike's liking for them.

"These are great," Spike munched on a pear, "You really made them yourself?"

Drusilla nodded.

"They were an old family recipe," Drusilla explained, "I thought I'd make something special."

"What's the occasion?" Spike asked

Drusilla was uneasy about telling Spike what she had seen.

"I'm getting some strange vibes, from the future," Drusilla explained, "Bad things are going to happen soon."

"Like what?"

"I don't exactly know. I just have an ominous feeling of dread and angst."

"Can't be worse than what I've seen in the past," Spike said, "At least this time I'll have you by my side."

Spike kissed Drusilla. She smiled.

"Ready to go again?" Drusilla asked

"Try and stop me!" Spike climbed back on top of her

/

The Warehouse…

/

Angelus held up the gold key eagerly.

"And this is definitely it?" he asked

"Uh, yeah, it matches the description," Dalton replied, looking at his book

"Right," Angelus turned to face Buffy, "Phase one is complete. Now, we need to deal with the slayer. I've decided to call in the Order of Taraka."

Buffy knew the Order of Taraka. They were fierce, determined, and deadly. Spike wouldn't stand a chance.

"No!" Buffy exclaimed

Dalton and Angelus looked at Buffy, surprised by her outburst.

"Why not?" Angelus asked, genuinely confused

"Because…um…where's the fun in that?" Buffy attempted

Angelus ignored her.

"Their top three guys are already on their way," Angelus announced, "And they'll keep coming until the slayer is dead."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	26. What's My Line? Part 2

**A/N: I based the members of the Order of Taraka on characters from other works of fiction. Thought it would be more fun than just using the ones from the episode.**

/

/

/

Spike and Giles walked through the cemetery, to the crypt where Spike had found Dalton the previous night.

"Keep up with me Spike, you don't want to be late back to school," Giles urged

"Yeah, I'd hate for that to happen," Spike muttered

"Is that really the proper attitude to have to your schooling?" Giles asked

"Well it's not like anything I learn there's going to matter with fighting vampires."

"You'd be surprised how much a good education can help with your slayer duties."

/

They found the crypt.

"Speaking of Slayer duties…" Spike began, "I was wondering, like seriously, is there any way to get out of them? Some kind of ritual, virgin blood and all that?"

Giles sighed.

"It's the career fair, isn't it?" he asked, "I was afraid it would get to you."

Giles attempted to open the crypt door. Spike kicked it open.

"The thing is, Spike, you could still have a career," Giles said, "Perhaps something that would welcome your slayer abilities. Have you considered law enforcement?"

"What, become a copper?" Spike asked sarcastically

/

The two of them entered the mausoleum. It had been badly damaged.

"Is that like a wall-safe or something?" Spike asked, pointing to a hole in the wall

"It's a reliquary," Giles explained, "They're used to house items of religious significance. Most commonly a finger or some other body part from a saint."

Giles looked at the nameplate above the reliquary.

"Du Lac. Oh dear, oh dear."

"I hate when you say that," Spike sighed

"Josephus du Lac was buried here. He belonged to a religious sect that was excommunicated by the Vatican at the turn of the century."

"Well, there's a guy big with the sinning."

"You remember the book that was stolen from the library by a vampire a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah."

"It was written by Du Lac. Damn it! I let it slip my mind with all the excitement."

"I'm guessing it wasn't a cookbook?"

They started out of the mausoleum.

"No, the, uh, book was said to contain rituals and spells that reap unspeakable evil. However, it was written in archaic Latin so that nobody but the sect members could understand it."

/

Outside…

/

"So, everything's cool then?" Spike asked

"It's not. First the book was taken from the library, and now the vampires have stolen something from Du Lac's tomb."

"Do they know how to read the book?"

"Something's coming, Spike, and whatever it is, I can guarantee it's not good."

/

At the bus depot…

/

"Bus 219, continuing service to Los Angeles, now arriving in Sunnydale at the west gate," the announcement said

Passengers began to disembark from the bus. One of them stood out; it was a man in a long black coat, wearing a skull T-shirt. He looked fiercely determined.

/

A man with an eye-patch approached the Summers' house. With his boiler-suit and toolbox, he looked like an average repairman, but he was much deadlier. The man walked to the house next to Spike's, and knocked on the door. A woman answered the door.

"Mrs. Kalish?" the man asked

"Yes…?" she replied

"I'm from the gas company," the man spoke with gravely tones, "We got reports of a leak in this area. May I come inside?"

"I suppose…"

The gas man stepped into the house, smiling eagerly. The door closed. Mrs. Kalish screamed…

/

The airport…

/

The baggage handler opened up the cargo bay of the 747, and saw that some of the nets had been torn.

"What the hell?" he muttered

He took off his headphones, and climbed inside. He could tell someone was there.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be in here!" the baggage handler called

He held up his flashlight threateningly, and stepped into the darkness. Suddenly, a foot came flying into his face with incredible force; the man fell to the ground, out cold. His attacker stepped out; it was a young Caribbean girl with long curly hair and large hoop earrings. She left the plane, making sure no one saw her…

/

The library…

/

Giles, Spike, and Oz were going through Giles' books, researching the cross.

"I think I've found it," Spike said

"What does it say?" Giles asked

Spike skidded over to Giles, showing him the book.

"According to records, Du Lac destroyed all the crosses except the one buried with him," Giles read, "It was mainly used to translate ancient documents, rituals and so on."

"So it's a like a decoder ring?" Oz asked

Giles thought for a moment.

"Yes, I believe that's an appropriate metaphor," Giles agreed

"Why would that bloke destroy the crosses?" Spike asked

"He might have feared that they would have gotten into the wrong hands," Giles explained

"That makes…" Oz began

The library door opened, and Willow stuck her head through.

"Hey, Giles, is it alright if I bring my new pet in?" she asked

"I'd rather you didn't, with all the books…" Giles began

Willow walked in anyway, carrying a very cute Pekingese puppy. Xander followed her.

"Oh…well, I suppose it's alright," Giles said

Giles and Oz got up and advanced to Willow, and began to pet the dog. Spike remained seated.

"What's his name?" Oz asked

"I call him Terry," Willow replied

"I thought you said your mum wouldn't let you have a dog?" Spike asked

"She finally changed her mind," Willow said, "Do you want to pet him?"

"I'd rather not," Spike admitted, "I had a bad experience with dogs. Ever since a large one almost tore off my..."

Spike noticed that everyone was fixated on Willow's puppy. Sneakily, he got up and walked around the gang, heading out the library door.

/_  
><em>The slayer had planned on going to see Drusilla, but when he got to her apartment, he found a note on the door saying:

_/_

_Spike,_

_I'm at a church on 43__rd__ Street. Please come meet me there._

_-Drusilla_

/

So Spike made his way to the church; it was abandoned, but in okay condition. It was quite big, poorly lit with a gothic beauty. Spike walked silently down the pews, coming across Drusilla. She was kneeling down and praying in a patch of shade.

"Dru?" Spike asked

Drusilla opened her eyes.

"You found me," she said

"Yep. What's going on here? Demons?"

"No. Just praying."

She got up, wiping the dust off her dress.

"You pray?" Spike was surprised

"It's a recent thing," Drusilla explained, "Church was a big part of my human life. I…missed it."

"Okay…" Spike wasn't sure how to process that, "So, you…want to go back to my place?"

"Alright," Drusilla agreed, "I just have to go to confession."

She walked over to the confession booth, both of which were missing doors. It was then Spike realized that Drusilla was having one of her bad days, mental health-wise. She was whispering things to a non-existent priest, various sins. Spike waited patiently for her. Suddenly, Drusilla opened her eyes, and looked at Spike.

"Please could you move two steps to the left?" she asked

"Sure," Spike made the move, "This okay?"

"Yes."

Suddenly, two gunshots fired at the spot where Spike had stood. The slayer looked up, seeing a man in the rafters. He had a Mohawk haircut, and wore a dark green army jacket and jeans. He was pointing a .44 Magnum at Spike.

"What the…?" Spike began

The assassin jumped down, landing in front of Spike. He held up his gun, preparing to fire, when Spike kicked the gun out of his hand and then punched him. The man quite resilient, however, and responded to the attack by kicking Spike in the leg, very hard.

"Ah!" the pain was excruciating

The two of them fought all the way up to the altar; the man kicked Spike in the gut, sending him falling to the ground.

"Got you now, slayer," the man growled

The man reached down his sleeve, taking out his secondary gun, a Smith & Wesson Escort. Before he could fire it, however, Spike grabbed a large crucifix from behind him and hurled it at the man's head, killing him.

/

Spike dusted himself off. Drusilla ran to his side.

"Are you alright?" she asked

"Fine," Spike nodded, "I just, you know, feel bad about using a crucifix to kill someone."

"You've never looked too closely at the bible, have you?" Drusilla asked

Drusilla bent over, and examined the man. She saw his ring, and recognized the Order of Taraka insignia.

"Oh no…"

/

/

/

To be continued...


	27. What's My Line? Part 3

/

/

/

Spike returned to the library, finding everyone where he had left them, with the addition of Ms. Calendar.

"Oh, look who decided to come back," Xander said, sounding annoyed

Spike had anticipated that. He tossed Xander a bag of M&Ms. The boy's face lit up.

"And you're forgiven!" Xander announced

"Spike, where have you been?" Giles demanded, "This is a very risky time, and you're skiving off?"

"Yeah, where were you?" Ms. Calendar asked, degradingly, "The Bronze, the mall…?"

Spike made the V-sign at her.

"I know what that means!" Ms. Calendar warned

"For everyone's information, Drusilla dragged me to church, then I got shot at by some nutjob," Spike said, "Dru got his ring."

Spike tossed the ring to Giles. He looked at the symbol.

"Oh dear…" he looked worried

"Oh, not the order of Taraka," Ms. Calendar groaned

"What's the order of Taraka?" Willow asked

"They're an institute of supernatural bounty hunters and assassins," Giles explained

"Huh?" Xander asked

"They're like the Assassin's Guild from Marvel," Ms. Calendar translated for him

"Oh. Got it," Xander nodded

"Spike, these people are serious," Giles informed, "Much more dangerous than the average vampire. I suggest you stay home until we can find a solution."

"Alright, but what about that cross thing?" Spike asked

"It's mostly a research job," Giles explained, "We'll call you if we find anything."

"Fine" Spike stood back up, "Guess I'll just go home and watch TV…"

"There's a new episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on tonight," Xander advised

"Oh yeah? What happens?" Spike asked

"According to the TV guide, Buffy endures Career Week at school while fighting off assassins sent by Spike," Xander said

"I wish something cool like that would happen in Sunnydale," Willow lamented

/

Spike started leaving school again, planning on going home. He made sure to be suspicious of the people around him, he had no way of knowing who was with the Order of Taraka. Suddenly, someone grabbed Spike's arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" the grabber asked

On instinct, the slayer spun around and punched the guy in the face, knocking him out. It took Spike a minute to realize it was Principal Snyder.

"Oh crap..." Spike groaned

Spike looked around the hallway at the people who were there, who had just witnessed him attack a the principal. The slayer bolted out the door.

"So..." Jonathan began, "You all saw it, Snyder hit him first."

"Oh yeah," Harmony nodded

"Definitely," Larry agreed

"That's how I saw it," Mr. Platt added

/

Spike walked home, still on edge. He was almost on Revello Drive, when someone leapt out from over a wall, and kicked Spike in the back, knocking him down to the ground. Spike quickly got back up, seeing his attacker. It was a guy in an orange hoodie and a black balaclava.

"Order member, right?" Spike sighed

Spike attempted to do a roundhouse kick, putting all his slayer strength into it. To his surprise, the Hoodie-guy was immune to Spike's strength. He caught Spike's foot, and knocked him to the ground.

"Bugger!" Spike swore

He got to his feet, and began to run in the other direction, when he got to the end of the road. There were other henchman from the order; one of them was the man who wore a black coat and a skull T-shirt, the other was a creature with reptilian features in what looked like a pale yellow spacesuit.

"End of the road, kid," the man in the black coat said

Spike began to back away from the three guys, but they surrounded him.

"Come on, be reasonable," Spike began, "I don't want to fight you lot. I'm a slayer, I kill vampires, not humans. I _**don't**_ think I've ever done anything against you guys. If you just let me leave alone, I'll stay out of…"

The reptilian man punched Spike in the face, knocking Spike down to the road.

"Right," Spike got back up, "No more Mister Nice Guy…"

/

The slayer grabbed Hoodie-guy by the collar, and yanked him forward, head-butting him. Spike then reached into his coat, taking out a knife. He tried to stab the coat-guy, but to Spike's surprise, the coat-guy hit his (Spike's) arm and knocked the knife into the air. Coat-guy caught the knife and stabbed Spike in the arm (luckily it was only his right).

"Learned that in Ho Chi Minh," coat-guy said, alluding to skills he'd learned in the Vietnam War

The man reached into his coat, taking out a AR-15 rifle. Before he could finish Spike off, the slayer gave him a powerful kick to the groin.

"Hrrrr!" the man groaned

"Learned that from Ro Sham Bo," Spike retorted

Spike then smashed his bottle of whiskey at the reptile and held his cigarette to the reptile's skin, setting him on fire. He launched into a rage, blindly swiping the air. Spike shoved him into the coat-guy's path. The reptile jammed his claws into coat-guy's chest. It didn't pierce his bulletproof vest, but it did rupture some grenades that were stashed away. There was quite an explosion...

/

Spike got up off the ground; the explosion had knocked him down. His ears were ringing, he could only see white spots.

"What…?" he groaned

Spike blinked a few times, and his sight returned. He could the two charred corpses of coat-guy and the reptile, plus various flames and shrapnel scattered everywhere. The man in the hoodie was lying on the ground, in a bad way.

"Fuck this, I'm out of here…" Spike muttered

He started to run away, but his guilt caught the better of him. He walked back to the Hoodie-guy.

"Hey, mate, you gonna be alright?" Spike asked, "Want me to call the hospital?"

"I'll be fine…" Hoodie reached into his pocket, "Got my…mobile."

He took out a phone that was ten years ahead of its time.

"Right…" Spike resumed leaving

/

Later, when it was dark...

/

Drusilla entered Willy's bar and grill.

"We're closed! Can't you read the…"

Willy stopped mid-sentence, realizing who it was.

"Oh, Drusilla," he said, speaking in a calm tone, "What can I get you?"

"Hello Willy. Could I have a gin and tonic, please?" she asked

"Sure."

Usually, Willy threw out customers who asked for anything more complicated than beer or blood. But for Drusilla, he'd make an exception.

"On the house, of course," Willy slid Drusilla her glass

Drusilla took a sip of the drink.

"Mm, perfect."

"So how's that fella you were here with last time?" Willy asked, "What do they call him, Spine?"

"Spike. He's fine."

Willy wiped down the bar. Drusilla quietly finished off her drink.

"You want another?" Willy asked

"Please."

"I've just got to go get, uh, some more gin out of the backroom," Willy said, nervously

"I'll go with you," Drusilla said

She followed Willy to the backroom.

"So, tell me about the Order of Taraka," Drusilla said, casually

Willy dropped the crate he had just picked up.

"Um, well, they're a gang of bounty hunters, assassins, and…"

"Willy…" Drusilla sighed

"Hey, I don't want to get involved in this!" Willy protested

Drusilla morphed to her vampire face.

"Okay!" Willy threw up his hands in defense, "I hear some guy named Angelus hired them to take down Spike."

"That bastard!" Drusilla screeched

"Dru, calm down," Willy urged

"I am going to kill him!" Drusilla announced, "This time, I really am!"

Suddenly, the girl from the plane appeared, attacking Drusilla from behind. Drusilla fell to the ground, looking up at the girl. She was holding a broom, preparing to use it as a stake. Drusilla got out of the way just in time, and got back to her feet. The girl continued to attack Drusilla. Drusilla blocked her hits, but couldn't get in to counter-attack, the girl was hitting and punching too frequently.

"What do you want?" Drusilla demanded

The girl kicked Drusilla, knocking her into the storage cage.

"Who are you?" Drusilla demanded, "If you tell me what I need to know I won't hurt you."

The girl laughed and slammed the door, locking it shut.

"You think this is funny?" Drusilla asked

"I think it is funny now," the girl spoke with a thick Caribbean accent, "That boy. The one I saw you with before?"

"You stay away from him!" Drusilla warned

"I'm afraid you are not in a position to threaten."

"When I get out of here I'll do more than threaten!"

"Then I suggest you move quickly," the girl looked up at the windows, "Eastern exposure. The sun will be coming in a few hours. More than enough time for me to find your boyfriend."

/

/

/

To be continued…

**A/N: The 'V-sign' refers to the British way of flipping someone off (Spike did it to Xander in 'Hush').**


	28. What's My Line? Part 4

**A/N: Did you like my little fourth-wall breakage in Chapter 27? Originally, I was going to have the characters complain about the show (Willow complaining about Willow being too nervous, Spike complaining about Spike's accent, you get the idea), but I was afraid it would be misconstrued as hateful.**

/

/

/

The next morning…

/

Oz was lying in his bed, sound asleep.

"Oz!" Mrs. Osborne called, "Someone on the phone for you!"

"Who is it?" Oz muttered, partially asleep

"Some English guy!"

"Upper class English or working class?"

"Um…the first one."

"Oh."

Oz picked up his phone.

"Yeah?" Oz asked, in a weary tone

"Oz, it's Giles. Have you heard from Spike since yesterday?"

"No. Did you try calling him?"

"I did, but he's not picking up. Could you go round to his house and make sure he's alright?"

"Sure," Oz nodded, "By the way, any word on that cross?"

"Yes, um, unfortunately, I've found something. According to my research, the cross can be used in a ritual to heal an injured vampire. This means that Buffy could use it to heal Angelus, thus rendering him powerful again."

"Is that bad?"

"Yes! Angelus is one of history's most notorious vampires! Chances are he'd slaughter the entire town, merely as a warm-up!"

"Huh."

/

Oz got dressed and left his house. It was a nice, sunny day, he was almost sad that he'd have to spend it at school. He started to walk to Spike's house. On the way, he walked into Willow and her dog.

"Morning, Oz," she smiled

"Hey," Oz replied, "Taking Terry for a walk?"

"Yep," Willow nodded, "Where are you off to?"

"Giles wants me to check on Spike," Oz explained

"Is he alright?"

"He's not answering his phone," Oz explained

Willow gasped.

"It's most likely he's still asleep," Oz assured, "Spike's not a morning person."

"Oh, good," Willow was relieved, "Could, um, could I go with you? Just so I know he's okay?"

"Sure."

/

The two of them walked to 1630 Revello Drive. The damage from the explosion was still there.

"What happened?" Willow asked

"No idea," Oz admitted

They walked up to Spike's house. Oz took the key out from under the mat, and unlocked the front door. Willow picked up her dog and followed Oz inside.

"Spike, it's Oz! Are you home?"

Oz did a quick sweep of the kitchen, the living room, and the dining room.

"I'm just going to check upstairs," Oz said

"Alright," Willow nodded

/

Willow sat down on the sofa, and began petting her dog. Then there was a knock at the door. Willow got up to answer it. It was the Order member who wore an eye-patch. He still had on his repair-man disguise.

"C-can I help you?" Willow asked

"I'm with the gas board, we suspected a leak," the man informed, "May I come inside and check it out?"

"Um, this isn't really my house," Willow explained, "I-it's my friend's, and I'm not allowed to let anyone in."

"A gas leak is a very serious issue," the man warned, "Right now, this whole building could be in danger of exploding."

"Well, um, alright," Willow motioned for the man to come inside

The eye-patch guy walked inside. He sat down on the sofa, and opened his toolbox. Willow could tell something was up.

"I-I've got to go, um, feed my dog," Willow said, "And I...I keep the dog food upstairs!"

"Alright," the man didn't even look up from his toolbox

/

Willow quickly picked up her dog and ran up the stairs. She found Oz in Spike's room.

"What's wrong?" Oz could see the worried look on the girl's face

"There's an order member downstairs!" Willow whispered, in a terrified tone

"Are you sure?" Oz asked

"I saw he had a gun! A big gun!"

"Stay calm," Oz assured, "Be cool."

"Okay," Willow nodded

Brief pause. Then Oz grabbed Willow and kissed her.

"Oz!" Willow screeched

"I'm sorry, I panicked," Oz admitted

"Why did you…never mind, what do we do?" Willow asked, becoming more frantic, "Hey, this is Spike's room, right? He's gotta have…weapons or something?"

Then suddenly, Willow kissed Oz back.

"Oh god, why did I do that?" Willow exclaimed

She realized what she had said.

"I mean, no offense…" Willow quickly added

She stopped talking, hearing the footsteps. The eye-patch man was coming up the stairs…

/

Spike was lying in Drusilla's bed, fast asleep. The bed wasn't as nice without Drusilla in it, but Spike managed. He was dreaming of Drusilla. He dreamt about Drusilla a lot, in various settings. This time, they were going at it in the snow, in the streets of Victorian London. It was surreal, but enjoyable. Spike looked at Drusilla, at her long black hair, her porcelain-like skin, her blue eyes…then suddenly, she changed. She became blonde and green-eyed, her Victorian features faded to a more Valley-girl look…she became Buffy. Yet Spike kept going at it with her, it became more intense, more powerful, more…

/

Spike woke up and came to his senses.

"Oh sod!" he groaned, realizing the dream

Spike then saw the Caribbean-looking girl standing in the doorway. She was carrying a hatchet and advancing towards him.

"Who…?" Spike began

The girl advanced towards Spike; Spike quickly wrapped the bed sheet around his waist, and got off the bed.

"Look, I've already killed three of your teammates, I **don't** want to make it four," Spike warned

The girl ignored Spike, and swung the hatchet threateningly. Spike grabbed it with his left hand, holding the sheet with his right.

"Stop that!" Spike barked

Spike hurled the hatchet aside, but the girl kept fighting him. Spike sighed, and punched her in the face. She fell to the ground.

"That's enough," Spike announced

He grabbed a sword off the wall, and held it towards Kendra, making sure she didn't get up.

"Who are you?" she demanded

"I'm asking the bloody questions here!" Spike snapped, "Who are you?"

"I am Kendra, the vampire slayer!" she announced

/

In shock, Spike dropped the sword and the sheet.

"What?"

Kendra averted her eyes. Spike quickly picked his sheet back up.

"Sorry, luv," he said, "But…slayer? As in vampire slayer? Once a generation?"

"That is correct, sir," Kendra informed

"No, you...can't be," Spike said, "I'm the slayer."

Kendra snorted.

"That is a terrible lie," she informed, "The slayer is always a girl. And as you have just shown me, you are clearly not a girl."

"I was an exception, okay?" Spike sighed, "Or a mistake. Or…I don't know."

Kendra tried to fathom the situation.

"Who is your watcher?" she asked

"Rupert Giles," Spike replied, "Who's yours?"

"His name is Sam Zabuto," Kendra replied

Brief pause.

"I have no idea who that is," Spike admitted

/

Giles' office…

/

"Yes, I have heard of Sam Zabuto, he is still active with the Watchers council," Giles said, uneasily

"So the guy's a real person?" Spike asked, "She's the real deal?"

"It appears so," Giles nodded, "Now, what do we call you?"

"I am the vampire slayer," the girl replied

"But what's your name?"

"Oh. They call me Kendra. I have no last name."

"So how can this happen?" Spike asked, "I thought as long as I was alive, there would be no other slayers."

"Yes, that does, um, present some questions," Giles admitted

The library doors opened, and Oz and Willow walked in. Kendra stood up, alert.

"Seriously, Oz, when did you learn to do that?" Willow asked eagerly, "That guy was about to kill us!"

"It's a long story," Oz replied, "I don't think I'll ever feel like talking about it."

They entered Giles' office.

"Hey guys," Oz said

"Identify yourselves!" Kendra demanded

Willow was scared, Oz remained stoic.

"Do you just want the name, or would you also like my rank and number?" Oz asked

"It's alright, Oz and Willow are Spike's friends," Giles assured

"Friends?" Kendra asked

"As in opposite of enemies?" Spike said caustically

"Spike has a few civilian friends who assist him in his slayer duties," Giles explained, "And they also interact socially."

"But the slayer must be kept secret for security," Kendra insisted, "You allow this?"

"Well, it helps in Spike's case," Giles attempted to defend himself

"Sorry, what's going on?" Oz asked

"Kendra's a slayer," Spike informed

"Two slayers at the same time?" Willow asked, "Is that possible?"

"Well, a slayer is activated when the previous one dies, so…"

"Oh yeah, Spike did die," Oz remembered

"What, when?" Willow asked

"It was before that fight with The Master," Spike said, "I drowned, but it was only for a minute."

"That's all it takes," Giles said

"That wasn't a real death," Spike argued, "I fell in some water, I got revived, it was nothing! It shouldn't count! She shouldn't be a slayer!"

"Now Spike, that's uncalled for…" Giles began

In anger, Spike kicked Giles' desk, sending it slamming into the wall. He then stormed out of the room.

/

Spike was already in the hallway when Oz caught up to him.

"Spike, what was that about?" Oz asked

"You wouldn't understand," Spike muttered

"Understand that you're upset because someone else has to suffer being a slayer?" Oz asked

Awkward silence.

"Okay, maybe you do," Spike reluctantly admitted

Suddenly, Giles burst out the library doors. He looked rather alarmed.

"Spike, Kendra just told me something that you'll want to look into…"

/

Willy's Bar and Grill…

/

Drusilla was still in the storage cage, pressing herself against the wall to avoid the sunlight that beamed in through the window. The light's presence was weakening her, if she was there any longer she might burn up.

"Willy!" Drusilla croaked, "Willy!"

The door opened, revealing Willy. He placed a sheet over the window, blocking the sunlight.

"Oh thank God," Drusilla breathed, "You're here…"

To Drusilla's surprise, Willy grabbed her by the ankles, and began to drag her out of the storage cage.

"What are you…?" Drusilla was too weak to fight him

/

Willy dragged Drusilla to another room. He lifted up a hatch, revealing an entrance to the storm drain. Carefully, he picked Drusilla back up, and dropped her down into the drain. She fell down, splashing in the water. Her white dress was ruined; it clung to her skin.

"Look who dropped in," Buffy taunted

"Oh god…" Drusilla tried to get up

Before Drusilla could escape, two of Buffy's vampire lackeys grabbed her, lifting her up.

"I'm sorry, Drusilla, but times are tough," Willy dropped down into the drain, "I need the money."

Willy turned to Buffy.

"Speaking of which…" he stuck out his hand

Buffy reached into her purse, and took out a wad of cash.

"There you go. Thirty pieces of silver," Buffy teased

"Whatever," Willy pocketed the money, "So, Buffy, I was wondering, do you show up on film?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You ever consider modeling? I have a friend with a camera. Strictly high-class nude work. You know, art photographs. But naked."

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Let's go…" Buffy sighed

Buffy started to walk away with the lackeys carrying Drusilla. Then she stopped.

"Hey Willy, can I use your phone?" she asked

/

Upstairs…

/

Buffy picked up the phone behind the bar, and dialed a fifteen-digit number.

"Solomon Imports," a hazy voice said

Solomon Imports was the front for the Order of Taraka. Buffy rolled back her sleeve, where she had written down some codewords. They had gotten a bit smudged.

"Eta kuram na…smekh?" Buffy attempted

The man on the other line was silent for a moment.

"Understood," he said

/

/

/

To be continued…


	29. What's My Line? Part 5

/

/

/

The library…

/

Giles and Oz desperately pried Spike's hands off of Kendra's neck.

"It was an easy mistake," Kendra informed, "She's a vampire, I'm a slayer."

"Is there…a chance…she could still be alive?" Giles asked, still holding onto Spike

"Possibly," Kendra said, "But does it matter?"

"It bloody matters to me!" Spike yelled

"Then why don't I take you there?" Kendra suggested

Spike stopped trying to kill Kendra.

"Alright…"

/

Spike and Kendra walked through the school halls.

"Where do you think you're going?" Snyder demanded

Spike shoved Snyder into a storage closet. Several containers fell down, burying him.

"Summers!" Snyder yelled

/

Jonathan and Larry had been watching.

"Now in this case, we say Snyder fell into the closet, Spike was just near him," Jonathan explained

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of it," Larry said

/

Willy's Bar and Grill…

/

The two slayers approached the bar. Spike knocked on the door, but Kendra kicked it down before anyone could answer. The two of them walked inside, to the backroom. Drusilla wasn't there.

"No ashes," Kendra pointed out, "She must have gotten out."

Willy walked into the room.

"Oh no..." he groaned

Kendra grabbed Willy, and began to attack him.

"Stop that!" Spike pulled Kendra off of Willy, "Do you know how hard it is to interrogate a guy in a coma?"

Spike pulled Willy aside.

"Where's Drusilla?" Spike demanded

"I didn't let her fry, I saved her in the nick!" Willy lied, "She was about five minutes away from being a crispy critter. I'm practically a hero!"

"Where did she go?" Spike demanded

"Uh, she said she was gonna stay underground. You know, recuperate."

Spike advanced closer to Willy.

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"I swear on my mother's grave! Should something fatal happen to her, God forbid."

"Then she is alright," Kendra said, "We can return to your Watcher for our orders."

Spike snorted.

"I don't take orders. I do things my way."

"No wonder you died."

/

Angelus sat on the chair in his room, reading _Thus Spoke Zarathustra_. He knew it almost word for word, but it was always good to review.

"Angelus!" Buffy called

She stuck her head through the door.

"Buffy," Angelus swiveled his chair around to face her, "You're back."

Angelus began to get up, but he felt the strain on his heart. He sat back down.

"Did you have fun in town?" he asked

"It was alright," Buffy shrugged, "I got some shoes and a new kind of eye shadow. It's champagne-colored."

"Can't wait to see it," Angelus replied, trying to sound interested

"Oh, and I got a little something for you," Buffy added

"You did?" Angelus asked

"Yeah," Buffy said, "I can always return it if you don't like it, keep that in mind."

/

Buffy led Angelus out of his room, and onto the stairway.

"So, what did you get me?" Angelus asked

She pointed down to the warehouse floor, where Drusilla was chained to the walls. Angelus let out an eager growl. Drusilla let out a frightened squeak.

"It might be uncomfortable at first, but you can always break it in," Buffy commented, speaking in shopping metaphors

/

Sunnydale high…

/

"So, Kendra, I've contacted your Watcher, he says that you and Spike should work together until the, um, Buffy and Angelus situation has been dealt with."

"Oh wow, how can I ever repay you?" Spike said, mockingly

"So you believe that this Buffy will heal this Angelus back to health?" Kendra asked

"Yes, I believe that's the rising dark power your Watcher sent you to investigate. Angelus could be the most dangerous vampire in existence. He is pure evil, very sadistic, and knowledgeable in the dark arts."

"Then we will stop Buffy," Kendra announced

Spike rolled his eyes. Kendra had no idea how hard that would be.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Giles explained, "Angelus has called The Order of Taraka on Spike."

"The bounty hunters? I read about them in the writing of Dramius," Kendra said

"Which volume are they in?" Giles asked, inquisitively

"I believe it was six, sir," Kendra said

"How do you know about these things?" Spike asked

"From my studies," Kendra replied, "The handbook insists it."

"The handbook?" Spike repeated

"You do not use the handbook?" Kendra was surprised

"I used it once to write down a phone number," Spike replied

Giles ignored Spike.

"Kendra, do you think you could show me exactly where the Order of Taraka are mentioned in the writings of Dramius?" the Watcher asked, "I can never really get through it. It's a bit stodgy."

"Yes, all those footnotes," Kendra added

The two of them laughed.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go to school," Spike said, desperate to leave

/

Spike met back up with Oz.

"Is Drusilla alright?" Oz asked

"Yeah, just a bit sunburned," Spike replied, "So, what are we doing today?"

"It's the career fair, remember?"

"Oh yeah. What did you get on that?"

"Believe it or not, some software company tried to recruit me," Oz said

"Really? What did you say?"

"I said I wasn't interested. Pretty much gave the guy a heart attack."

/

Spike and Oz made it to the career fair. Xander was standing against the wall, looking irritated.

"Alright, Xander?" Spike asked

Xander lowered the career test he was holding.

"Do you honestly see me as a prison guard?" he asked, frustrated

Oz and Spike looked over Xander.

"Someone as pretty as you shouldn't be anywhere near a prison," Oz summarized

"I know, right?" Xander sighed, "Spike, what did you get?"

"Law enforcement," Spike said, "I signed up to take a tour of the police station."

"You wanna become a cop?" Oz asked

"No, but at least it'll get Snyder off my back for a while," Spike said

"See, now that's something useful," Xander said, "You'd be a good cop, that's something you **could** do. Why can't I get something like that?"

"You think I'd be a good copper?" Spike asked

"Well, yeah," Xander continued, "It would really go with the slayer thing."

"It would make a good TV show," Oz suggested

"I would so watch that," Xander agreed

/

Spike walked to the law enforcement booth. The recruiter was a plainclothes-detective, wearing a dark blue suit with a light blue shirt. He had a beard, and wore a fedora that covered his eyes.

"Okay, when I call your name, answer," the man informed, "Spike Summers?"

"Here," Spike said

The recruiter pulled out a revolver from inside his jacket, and aimed at Spike. The slayer dived out of the way just as the man fired.

"Bloody hell!" Spike exclaimed

The recruiter chased Spike down the halls, shooting at him. Throughout the hallway, people started to run and duck for cover. Spike zigzagged, dodging bullets. He was almost safe, when he collided with the janitor's cart, falling to the floor. The recruiter cocked his gun, pointing it directly at Spike's head. Spike could see all the way down the barrel. Then Kendra appeared, lashing out at the recruiter. She kicked the gun out of his hand, sending it skidding away. Spike got up, planning to strike back at the recruiter, when the man pulled out a second revolver. He almost shot Spike, when his pager bleeped. Without lowering the gun, the recruiter checked the pager.

"Huh," he muttered, "Well, my job here's done."

The recruiter holstered his gun, and began to walk out of the building.

"No hard feelings, kid?" he asked, patting Spike on the shoulder

/

The library…

/

"What is it with Americans and guns?" Giles sighed, "Not even policemen carry them in England, and it works! But over here…!"

"Giles," Spike interrupted

"Sorry," the Watcher stopped his rant, "So he just put away the gun and left?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "After he got paged."

"Any idea what the page said?" Willow asked

"It's possible that it was an order to retreat," Giles explained, "It's rumored that the Order of Taraka has a codeword that makes any of its members stand down from their current mission."

"Someone must be watching out for you," Oz said

"Does this mean that they're not after me anymore?" Spike asked

"I wouldn't sit back and relax just yet," Giles said, "I fear the worst is still to come. I've discovered the remaining keys to Angelus' cure. The ritual requires the presence some he sired, and it must take place in a church on the night of the new moon."

"And that is tonight," Kendra added

"Well, how hard would it be for Angelus to find someone he has sired?" Willow asked, "I mean, who could he have sired in the Sunnydale area?"

Spike, Oz, and Giles exchanged worried glances.

"Drusilla," Spike said, solemnly, "Angelus sired her."

Willow gasped.

"Will the ritual kill Drusilla?" Spike asked

"I'm afraid so," Giles replied

"In that case…" Spike walked to the weapons cabinet, "We need to find that church, need to find where the ritual is taking place."

Spike opened up the cabinet, and began taking down stakes, knives, and other weapons.

"Agreed, and we must do so quickly," Giles said, checking his watch, "There's only five hours until sundown."

Willow opened up her laptop.

"I'll find a list of churches," Willow said, "Don't worry Spike, we'll save Drusilla."

"But our priority is to stop Angelus," Kendra argued

"If we stop the ritual, we stop Angelus," Oz simplified

/

The warehouse…

/

Drusilla was sitting on the warehouse floor, with her wrists chained to the wall. Buffy strolled up to her sire, observing her. Drusilla formulated a plan in her head. She knew of Buffy's past, and tried to use it to her advantage.

"Elizabeth, I'm really sorry it had to be this way," Drusilla attempted, "When I sired you…"

"Oh, I don't hold that against you," Buffy assured, "If anything, I'm grateful for it."

"Then why are you doing this to me?" Drusilla demanded

"Well, it's progress, that kind of stuff," Buffy explained, "Needs of the few, needs of the many…"

"God, do you ever stop talking?" Drusilla sighed, "It's been eighty years, and you're still the same."

"Well what have you done lately?" Buffy snapped

"I save people's lives on a daily basis," Drusilla said, "Just last week I stopped a group of vampires from killing a woman who was just like your mum."

That struck a chord with Buffy.

"You did?" she asked, her voice breaking

"Oh yes," Drusilla nodded, "She was very grateful."

Drusilla could see Buffy was weakening.

"The lady said she was going to go home and tell her daughter she loved her," Drusilla continued, "Just in case she never got a chance…"

The door burst open, and Angelus entered.

"It's almost time," Angelus announced, "Buffy, go get the chains?"

"Sure," Buffy kissed him, "Love you!"

"Love you too," Angelus replied, eagerly

Buffy left. Angelus walked up to Drusilla.

"Are you excited about saving my life?" Angelus teased

Drusilla said nothing, trying to avoid Angelus' glare.

"I've heard the process is quite painful," Angelus continued, "Having the life force slowly sucked out of you, then being burned from inside…"

Drusilla knew even if it meant her dying, she had to stop Angelus.

"I killed your sire," Drusilla broke her silence

Angelus stopped talking. A look of anger and horror appeared on his face.

"I know you're just trying to get me to stake you," Angelus warned, "It's not going to work."

"She tried to kill me and Spike," Drusilla continued, "After failing to do so honorably, she resorted to doing it with guns. Two of them. Even that failed. She cried the whole time, screaming about how I had to love her. Then I staked her."

Angelus was about to explode with rage.

"It…won't…work," he growled

"Fine," Drusilla muttered

Angelus unhooked Drusilla's chains from the wall, and began to drag her to the car.

"Buffy lied to you," Drusilla screeched, "Our tryst with The Immortal was VERY consensual! She loved it!"

Angelus let out a massive roar. He grabbed Drusilla by the throat, preparing to break her neck. Just before he could, Buffy grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"God, Angelus, will you ever let that go?" Buffy sighed

/

Spike and Kendra were in Giles' office, loading up on weapons.

"And Xander and Cordelia, they also know that you are the slayer?" Kendra asked

"Yep," Spike nodded

"And your mother?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you not try to keep a secret identity?" Kendra asked, "The handbook states its the main priority."

"I used to," Spike admitted, "When I started out. I kept my identity secret, even mum. I obeyed the handbook, spent my nights studying and reading."

"That did not work out?"

"No, and a lot of people I cared about died. Pretty much shattered my faith in secret identities."

Kendra tried to think of an appropriate reply.

"I am sorry," she said, "I have never faced such a problem."

"You've never wanted to tell your parents about being a slayer, for their safety?" Spike asked

"I do not really know my parents," Kendra admitted, "I was taken from them by the Watchers council when I was young."

"They can do that?" Spike exclaimed

"They do not make a habit of it, but in my case, seers prophesized I would one day be activated as a slayer," Kendra explained, "My parents knew giving me to my Watcher was the best choice for the world."

Spike looked aghast at Kendra.

"Don't feel sympathy for me," Kendra advised, "I don't."

"Sorry. But…how can you stand being alone?" Spike asked

"It is just an emotion. Emotions should not be entertained, Spike, they are a weakness."

"Nah, that's not true," Spike argued, "You need emotions to fight vamps. Anger, imagination…that stuff."

Oz walked into the room.

"Hey, Kendra, Giles wants to know what pages of that book mention the Order of Taraka?" he attempted

Kendra looked down at her shoes, trying to avoid Oz.

"Volume six, beginning on page one-twenty-five," Kendra muttered

"Thanks," Oz replied

He left.

"Not too good around guys, are you?" Spike asked

"I am not permitted to talk to boys," Kendra admitted

"Is that why you were so eager to beat up that bartender?" Spike asked, "Wait a minute…"

"You think the bartender can help us?" Kendra asked

Spike picked up his knife.

"He'd better…"

/

/

/

To be Continued…


	30. What's My Line? Part 6

**A/N: The Order of Taraka members were based on The Punisher (Marvel), Snake Plissken (Escape from New York), Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver), Superhoodie (Misfits), Bossk (Star Wars), and Jigen (from Lupin III).**

/

/

/

Willy's Bar and Grill…

/

Spike and Kendra re-re-entered the bar. Willy panicked, running to the back door. Before he could leave, Kendra hurled a knife at the wall, narrowly missing Willy's head.

"Nice trick," Spike said

"Thank you," Kendra replied

Spike walked up to Willy.

"Look, Spike, I didn't know they were going to…" he began

"Kendra, hold him," Spike ordered

Kendra held Willy by his collar. Spike picked up a glass of whiskey and splashed it in Willy's face. He then took out a lighter.

"Okay, I'll tell!" Willy said, desperately, "They're at a church. It's um…I'd probably have to take you there."

"Fine by me," Spike said

/

The church…

/

Drusilla was chained to Angelus, with extra chains around her arms and ankles. Angelus looked at her, enthusiastic about getting to see the light go out of her eyes. A crowd of vampires surrounded them, eager to see the ritual.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way," Angelus teased, maliciously, "I'd like to have tortured you one last time. I've been saving the old tools…"

"You're a sadistic bastard…" Drusilla muttered

"Thank you."

"Can we start now?" Buffy asked, "I wanna get to The Bronze before all the good virgins are drained."

"Start whenever you're ready," Angelus urged

Buffy walked to the altar, and took out her book.

"Eligor, I name thee, Bringer of war, poisoners, pariahs, grand obscenity," Buffy read

She turned the page.

"Eligor, wretched master of decay, bring your black medicine."

Buffy picked up the Du Lac cross with her gloved hand.

"Come," she turned the cross upside down, "Restore your most impious, murderous child."

She yanked a dagger out of the cross.

"From the blood of the sired he is risen," Buffy placed Angelus' hand on and Drusilla's hand, "From the blood of the sired, he will rise again!"

She jammed the dagger through their hands. Drusilla screamed with pain. Angelus enjoyed it. From the wounds, a blinding pink light emanated. Angelus could feel Drusilla's strength flowing into him. His heart began to heal, his body began pushing out the splinter.

"And let it come to a simmering boil and remove to a low flame," Buffy completed, snapping the book shut

/

Suddenly, the doors burst open, revealing Spike, Kendra, Oz, and Willy.

"Here's the slayer, Buffy, didn't I say I'd deliver?" Willy announced

Buffy saw right through his lie.

"Kill them," Buffy ordered

At once, the vampires in the room advanced on the humans and slayers.

"Every man for himself!" Willy yelled

Willy quickly ran out of the church, slamming the doors behind him. The vampires were getting closer.

"Spike, I don't think we can fight all these vampires," Kendra warned

"I know," Spike said

"You saw this coming?" Buffy laughed

"Oh yeah," Spike nodded, "I figured we'd be outnumbered. That's why I asked Xander to burn the church down."

"Huh?" Buffy's eyebrows shot up

Suddenly, the windows of the church were all smashed by stones. The stones were followed by various bottles of high-proof alcohol, which were corked with flaming rags. They hit the ground and created pools of fire. Most of the vampires in the church fled; a few of them caught on fire.

"Now this, we can handle," Kendra said

The three teenagers began their attack. Oz leapt over a pew, kicking two vampires in the face. Before they could recover, the rocker took out a kendo sword, and skewered the two of them, right through their hearts. Kendra began firing off her crossbow. Spike ran up to the altar, knocking Buffy out of the way.

"Spike, you came…" Drusilla said, faintly

Spike yanked the dagger out of her hand, and quickly undid the chain.

"Drusilla, are you alright?" Spike asked

"You came for me…" Drusilla smiled, "You came, my brave knight…"

Oz killed another vampire, and ran to Spike.

"Is she okay?" Oz asked

"She'll live," Spike said, "Get her out of here, would you?"

"Sure," Oz nodded

He helped Drusilla up, and began walking her out of the church, dodging the flames and the remaining vampires. By the time Oz had gotten Drusilla out, Kendra had killed the last one, save for Buffy and Angelus.

"Right, now just got to…" Spike began

Angelus came to his senses. He got up off the altar, and tackled Spike, catching him off-guard. Buffy advanced towards Kendra. Buffy was very fast, faster than Kendra was used to. Kendra attempted to get in with her stake, but Buffy simply punched it out of Kendra's hand.

"Stupid limey piece of crap!" Angelus berated, punching Spike repeatedly in the face

Before he could hit Spike again, the slayer spat the blood in his mouth into Angelus's eyes, impairing the vamp's sight. Spike got up and looked over to Buffy, who was about to kill Kendra.

"Kendra, castling!" Spike yelled, remembering a term in the handbook

Kendra nodded, and grabbed Buffy by the cuff of her shirt. The slayer hurled Buffy at Angelus, knocking him away from Spike. Spike dragged Buffy away from Angelus, facing her. In turn, Angelus got up and advanced to Kendra.

"So, two slayers?" Angelus asked, "You know what I've always wanted to do with two slayers?"

Kendra responded to the double-entendre by punching Angelus in the face.

"Spike told me about you, what you did to that English girl," Kendra referred to Drusilla

"So?" Angelus laughed, "What are you going to do about it?"

Kendra jammed a crossbow bolt into Angelus' hand, pinning him to a pew. He continued laughing at her.

"In my village, this is how we deal with men who do what you did," Kendra informed

And before Angelus could react, Kendra took out a knife and slashed off his…

"Aaaaaaah!" Angelus screamed

"Bloody hell!" Spike exclaimed, seeing what had happened

Kendra pulled the knife out. Angelus had fainted from the pain and shock.

"Spike, can you handle her?" Kendra asked

Spike and Buffy were still in shock from what Kendra had done.

"Spike!" Kendra shouted

"Huh?" Spike asked, "Oh, no, I'm good."

Spike kicked Buffy's leg, making her fall down against the altar. He held up his stake…

"I called off the Order!" Buffy exclaimed

Spike paused.

"What?" he asked

"I was the one who called off the Order of Taraka," Buffy explained, "I, um, I called this number they gave Angelus, he wasn't going to use it but I took it anyway, and I gave it to them, it's like this Russian phrase, it means…well, it doesn't matter what it means, it doesn't make any sense, but the fact is, I called them off, I did the right thing, didn't I?"

Spike thought for a moment.

"Okay, I suppose I do owe you," Spike said

"Yeah, exactly!" Buffy stood by Spike's statement

Spike got up, and began to leave. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. Then Spike turned back around.

"But then again, I'm still cross at you for ruining parents evening," Spike said

Spike reached into his coat pocket and took out the revolver that the police recruiter had dropped. He cocked the gun, and fired the remaining three rounds that were in the chamber. Two of them hit Buffy's spine, one hit her in the chest.

"Uh…"

Buffy clutched the wounds. Spike watched joyfully as Buffy staggered into the church organ, falling into it. The pipes and some of the stained-glass windows, plus a fair bit of the walls, came crashing down onto her.

/

Back at Spike's place…

/

Spike walked into his living room, carrying a tray of drinks. He placed them down on the coffee table.

"Oz, when did you learn those sweet moves?" Xander asked

Spike handed Oz and Xander their beers.

"Remember Halloween?" Oz asked, "When we turned into our costumes?"

Spike handed Kendra a cup of herbal tea, and gave Drusilla a glass of red wine.

"Oh yeah," Xander nodded, in regards to Oz's question, "How could I forget?"

"Well, I still remember most of my ninja skills," Oz explained, "Nothing major, just some fight moves and a good recipe for exploding powder."

Spike sat down with his whiskey. He held the cold glass over his eye, where Angelus had hit him.

"Really?" Xander asked, "Wow."

Drusilla sipped her wine.

"You gonna be alright luv?" Spike asked

"I will be."

/

The next day, Sunnydale High…

/

Oz and Willow were in the hallway, standing by Oz's locker.

"…but, Buffy called off the Order, so we're good for now," Oz concluded

"That's great," Willow said, "Um, I'm glad no one's going to be firing guns off in the hall anymore."

"Yeah," Oz nodded, "Also… I think we should talk."

"Oh, good, I can talk," Willow said, "What do you feel like talking about?"

"We kissed," Oz reminded

Willow let out a nervous croak.

"I'm totally willing to forget about it," Oz explained, "I don't want to ruin the relationship you and Xander have, or jeopardize our friendship."

"Yeah, me neither," Willow agreed

There was a brief pause. Then the two of them embraced each other, kissing passionately. Then they broke off.

"That's the last time we can do that!" Willow insisted

"Yeah," Oz nodded, "I, uh, I should go…"

/

The parking lot…

/

Giles handed Spike his car keys.

"I appreciate you taking Kendra to the airport," Giles said

"No problem," Spike replied, "I just want to make sure she doesn't try and get a seat in the cargo hold."

Giles laughed.

/

Spike got into Giles' car; Kendra was in the passenger seat.

"Thanks for the shirt, it was very generous of you," Kendra said

She was wearing Spike's "The Clash" T-shirt.

"You're welcome," Spike said

He started the car.

"Hey, Kendra, I have to make a quick stop on the way, do you mind?" Spike asked

"I do not."

/

Spike drove to Maple Court, and stopped at a bank ATM. He entered his pin number, and withdrew the maximum amount. Spike pocketed the cash, then got back into the car and resumed driving.

"I do not think this is the way to the airport," Kendra said, after a while

"I'm taking a bit of a shortcut," Spike lied

Kendra knew that wasn't true, but decided to see where Spike was taking her. He had never given Kendra any reason to mistrust him.

/

Spike drove Kendra slightly out of town, to the bus stop.

"What are we doing here?" Kendra asked

"Get out," Spike instructed

Kendra complied. Spike followed her.

"The bus'll arrive soon," Spike explained, "Get on it, and stay on until it gets to Los Angeles."

"Why am I going to Los Angeles?" Kendra asked

"Because you're going to have a normal life. It's only fair for there to be only one slayer, and it's not too late for you."

Kendra wasn't sure how to react to that.

"Spike, I cannot escape my destiny," she insisted

"It was never supposed to be your destiny."

Kendra thought it over. Spike was making sense; all her research and studies had said that there was only supposed to be ONE slayer per generation. And who was she to defy her studies?

"Okay," Kendra nodded , "I'll do it."

"Great," Spike continued, "Now, when you get to LA, find a bar called Caritas. The owner will help you get a job and a place to stay. Tell him Spike sent you."

"Bus to LA, Caritas," Kendra committed the details to memory

"Good. I'll be on my way."

"Thank you, Spike."

Spike nodded, and began to walk back to the car.

"Oh!" he turned around, "Sorry, luv, almost forgot."

Spike handed Kendra his cash.

"This is just over four hundred dollars," Spike explained, "First pay for your bus ticket, then spend the rest on clothes and junk food, not books and stakes."

/

The Warehouse…

/

Angelus made his way up the stairs, walking uneasily. Although the residual lifeforce had healed…the injury that Kendra had given him, it still stung. The vampire walked into Buffy's room, where she was recovering in bed. The right side of her face was covered in burns and scars, and she couldn't move her legs. The two of them had barely gotten out of the church alive.

"Urr…" Buffy moaned

"It's okay Buffy," Angelus assured, "You're going to be alright. I'll make you strong again, like me. Then we'll make them all pay…"

/

/

/

To be continued…

**Notes: **

*** Kendo swords are wooden.**

*** 'Caritas' was the bar owned by Lorne in "Angel".**


	31. Surprise: Part 1

/

/

/

Spike was in his bed, having a nightmare.

_He was on the school football field at midnight, surrounded by a mob of vampires. There were hundreds of them, and Spike was in the dead-center. He had no stakes, no railroad spikes, and every time he tried to call for help, nothing would come out. It was one of the most intense things Spike had ever experienced, but then it changed. Suddenly, they were all in a desert. The vampires caught fire and turned to dust. When the dust cloud settled, Spike saw a man standing by a cactus. He had on a dark blue shirt and slacks, and carried a leather satchel._

"_Ethan Rayne," Spike recognized him  
><em>

_The sorcerer smiled, in the eerie way he did._

"_Hello, Spike," Ethan said, "My, my, you were in a spot of trouble, weren't you?"_

_Spike realized what was going on._

"_This is a dream, isn't it?" he asked_

"_Yes," Ethan said, "Now, come on, we've got work to do."_

_Ethan began walking up a sand dune. Spike followed him._

"_What are you doing in my dream?" Spike demanded_

"_I'll explain later," Ethan assured_

_Ethan looked down the other side of the sand dune, which went down to an oasis, filled with murky water._

"_We have to jump here," Ethan informed  
><em>

"_I'm not jumping," Spike said stubbornly  
><em>

"_Oh come on Spike," Ethan sighed, "You can't be hurt in a dream."_

"_Haven't you ever seen Nightmare on Elm Street?"_

"_I've got the box set," Ethan replied, "The third one was the best."_

_/_

_The two of them jumped into the oasis, and entered The Bronze. It was very surreal; Oz sat at a table, speaking in French to a monkey. Joyce sat on the stairwell, holding a coffee cup._

"_Would you like me to give it to you before school?" she asked, looking excited_

_Then she dropped the cup, but it stopped halfway down. Ethan and Spike kept walking through the crowd, until they got to the bar._

"_Two lagers, please," Ethan said_

_The bartender slid over the drinks._

"_Five pounds fifty," the bartender said_

_Ethan looked to Spike._

"_Help me out, mate, I'm a bit short this month," he said_

_Spike sighed, and took out a ten pound note._

"_Even in my dreams, I get stuck with the bill?"_

_/_

_Ethan began to drink his lager._

"_So what are you doing here?" Spike asked_

"_I entered your dream to see your premonition," Ethan explained, "Do you understand it?"_

_Spike took another look at the bizarre goings on in The Bronze._

"_No," he admitted_

"_Didn't think so," Ethan finished his lager, "We'll go to a more legible area of your subconscious."_

_The two of them walked to the fire exit, past a crowd of people. Ethan pushed it open, revealing the warehouse._

"_This is a lot clearer," Ethan explained_

_Spike followed him through. He could see a strange kind of party going on, a vampire party. Angelus stood by the punch bowl, wearing a nice suit. Buffy was in a wheelchair, the right side of her face adorned with scars. She seemed to be eyeing the entrances to the building, as if she was waiting for someone to show up.  
><em>

"_Those two are still alive?" Spike said, with annoyance in his voice_

"_It appears so," Ethan nodded_

_He leaned in closer to Spike._

_"They're planning something, slayer," he explained, "The entire underground is sensing it. And we're terrified."_

_Ethan checked his watch._

"_I have to go now, you'll be waking up soon," he said, "Be careful Spike."_

_He took an orb out of his bag. It began to glow._

"_Oh, and happy birthday," Ethan added, "Expect a little something from me in the post."_

_He faded away._

/

Drusilla's place…

/

Spike knocked on the door.

"Coming!" Drusilla sang

She waltzed over to the door, and opened it. Spike was standing there, looking very shaken.

"Hello Spike," she smiled

"I just had…" Spike began

"…a dream that Ethan Rayne joined you in?" Drusilla asked

"Yes, how did you…?"

"…know? It's this new medicine of mine," Drusilla showed Spike the pill bottle, "Claritol. Ever since I started taking it, my abilities have improved."

"Are you…?"

"…serious? Yes."  
>"That's gonna get…"<p>

"…annoying after a while," Drusilla completed, "Sorry, Spike, I'll stop."

/

Spike sat down on Drusilla's couch. She made him a cup of tea.

"So, tell me more," Drusilla urged

"Big news, luv," Spike said, "According to my vision, Buffy and..."

Spike hesitated.

"Buffy and Angelus are alive," he completed

To Spike's surprise, Drusilla didn't scream at the mention of Angelus.

"Oh dear," she shook her head, "Anything else?"

"Ethan warned me that the entire underground knew they were up to something."

"Are you sure it was him? What exactly happened?"

"The guy showed up, dragged me through a desert, the Bronze, then some warehouse."

"Deserts are a common element in dream entrance," Drusilla informed, "It was probably him."

"Have you ever done that?" Spike asked, "Entering someone's dreams?"

"I've only ever had insight into dreams," Drusilla explained, "I never participated, only had quick peaks."

"Find anything interesting?" Spike asked

"Once," Drusilla admitted, "I entered a dream where I witnessed someone doing naughty things to me in Trafalgar Square."

Awkward silence. Spike turned his head, looking away from Drusilla.

"Didn't mean for you to see that…" he muttered, awkwardly

/

School, the next day…

/

Spike made his way through the corridor, finding his Watcher

"Giles!" Spike called

The man turned around.

"Oh, hello Spike," he said

"We need to talk," Spike said, "I had a dream involving a friend of yours."

"You dreamt about Jenny? I mean, Ms. Calendar?" Giles asked

"No, Ethan Rayne," Spike replied

Giles looked to see if anyone was listening, then leaned in closer to Spike.

"Spike…what you're feeling is perfectly normal, but, um, perhaps you'd be better off discussing this with your guidance counselor or …"

Spike realized what Giles had misunderstood.

"It was a Slayer dream!" Spike sighed

"Oh. We'd better go somewhere private to talk…"

/

They went to the library. Spike told Giles about his dream and about his premonition involving Angelus and Buffy.

"Well, this is quite serious," Giles said, taking off his glasses, "If Ethan is worried, then it must be serious."

"You think he was telling the truth?" Spike asked

"Something like that is not his style," Giles said, "If Ethan was plotting something, he wouldn't alert us to his presence."

Spike exhaled deeply.

"Not sure if that's good news or not," he remarked

"Well, at least you know what you're up against," Giles reminded, "It's either Buffy and Angelus or Ethan Rayne. You've faced them before."

"Hm. So no surprises…"

/

The Warehouse…

/

The place was garishly decorated, as one would expect of a vampire party. There were candles lining the walls and stairway, with coniferous tree branches arranged near them. There was a table holding sinister-looking boxes. Buffy sat in her wheelchair, in a state of misery. She had put on all-black clothing, black leather pants and a black tank-top, and wore excessive eye-liner.

"Where is he?" Angelus demanded, furiously pacing the floor

Dalton walked in, carrying a large wooden box.

"This just came for you," Dalton announced

"Put it with the rest of the gifts," Angelus ordered

Dalton put the box down on the table. Angelus strolled over to the floral arrangements, where a vampire decorator was arranging flowers.

"No, no, no!" Angelus yelled, "These are all wrong!"

He morphed to his vampire face, and tore at the throat of the decorator.

"Angelus, stop that!" Buffy yelled

She wheeled over to Angelus, and dragged him away from the decorator.

"Maybe try something different with the flowers?" Buffy suggested lightly

/

Buffy led Angelus away from the table.

"I just want everything to be perfect for you," Angelus insisted

"I know," Buffy replied

She looked over to the boxes.

"Can I have a quick look at my present?" Buffy pleaded

Angelus wanted her to wait, but he just couldn't say no to her.

"You can take a quick peak."

Buffy pulled herself up to the table, and opened one of the boxes. She gasped.

"Is that what I think it is?" Buffy asked, shocked

She wasn't pleasantly shocked; what was in the box scared her. She loved Angelus for his outside-the-box nihilist beliefs and his reckless attitudes towards humanity (among other things), but this…it was too much.

"Oh yes," Angelus grinned

He closed the box, and gave Buffy a kiss.

"Happy Birthday, Buffy," he said

Angelus walked out of the room. Buffy checked to make sure he was gone and then slumped down in her wheelchair.

"So, what, Tiffany's was closed?" she muttered to herself

/

The next morning…

/

Joyce was clearing away the dishes breakfast.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" Joyce asked

"Yeah, going round to Drusilla's tonight," Spike said, "She's cooking me a birthday dinner."

"That sounds nice. I hope it'll be less eventful than your last birthday."

"Mum..." Spike groaned

Joyce was referring to last year, when Spike had burned down the gym at his old school.

"Just please don't set anything on fire today?" Joyce asked

She closed the dishwasher.

"On a lighter note, about your present," Joyce said, excitedly, "Would you like me to give it to you before school?"

Then Joyce dropped her coffee cup. Spike had anticipated it, and caught the cup.

"How did you…?" Joyce began

"I think I'll take that present now," Spike said, confidently

/

School…

/

Ms. Calendar sat at her desk, grading papers. She didn't notice the man in the antiquated suit and hat approach her.

"Jenny Calendar," the man said

Ms. Calendar looked up, and gasped.

"Uncle Enyos," she said, "You startled me."

"You look well," Enyos said

"Thank you. Um, I'm sorry I haven't written lately, I've just been busy with work."

"It's quite alright. It is important you maintain your cover."

"Oh, of course."

"Tell me, what news do you have on the vampire?"

"Well…" Ms. Calendar reached into her desk drawer, and took out some papers, "I've cut her off from most of Sunnydale's pharmacies and hospitals. She's gotten so desperate that she's signed up for experimental medication trials."

"Is that good?"

"At the very least, it'll deprive her of a constant source of meds."

"Hm. I suppose that is good. However…"

Enyos strolled around the desks.

"…I hear the vampire is quite involved with the slayer?"

"Uh, yeah," Ms. Calendar uncomfortably shifted in her seat, "They're…pretty close."

"Does he make her happy?"

"Yeah but not…"

"And what are you doing to separate them?"

"Well, I've been meaning to, but…"

"But what? Have you forgotten you are not Jenny Calendar, that you are Janna, of the Kalderash tribe? A gypsy?" Enyos asked angrily

"It's not that simple," Jenny argued, "Drusilla's changed. She's making amends for her actions. She even saved my life."

"So that makes up for turning our favorite son into a monster? For her slaughtering all the children of our clan?"

"I…I haven't forgotten Uncle. I'm...sorry."

"No apologies. Enough observations. You will split up the slayer and the vampire, understand?"

"Yes Uncle…"

/

/

/

To be continued…


	32. Surprise: Part 2

/

/

/

Willow sat on the bench in the school parking lot, next to Xander. He had been showing her his new comic book for the past twenty minutes, and she was bored out of her mind.

"…so basically, Frank Castle will never be as tough if he's not a Vietnam veteran," Xander explained, "That was where he was created. It's the world he loves: war. The Punisher is basically Marvel's Rambo. He's only happy when he's fighting a war, he feels that's really the only thing he's good for…"

Willow, who hadn't really been paying attention to Xander, turned her attention to the car that had just pulled up in the parking lot. It was a 1957 Chevrolet Desoto, completely black. The vehicle parked two feet in front of Willow and Xander. The driver, Spike, got out.

"Wow…" was all Xander could say

"Spike, nice car!" Willow grinned

"Thanks," Spike replied, sliding his keys into his pocket, "Gotta hand it to mum, she's got good taste."

"She got you a car? What's the occasion?" Xander asked, "Did you go a week without destroying public property?"

"At least I'm not a church-burner," Spike retorted

"At least I'm not a necrophiliac," Xander retorted

"At least I'm not a virg…"

"So why did she get you a car?" Willow asked, changing the subject

/

The library…

/

Giles was busy re-stocking books in the shelves while talking to Spike, who was sitting at the library table.

"So, is there any news concerning your premonition?" he asked

"Part of it came true," Spike said, "Mum asked me 'do you want me to give it to you before school', then dropped her coffee cup."

"Oh dear," Giles knew that if that part had come true, it was possible the rest of the dream was true

The library doors opened, and Ms. Calendar walked in. Giles turned to face her, almost falling off the ladder he stood on.

"Um, hello Jenny," Giles struggled to secure his feet

"Hi Rupert," she said

"Can I get you a cup of tea?" the librarian stepped down on to the floor

"I'd love one. With lemon, if you have it."

Giles walked to his office.

"It'll just take me a minute," he said

Ms. Calendar walked up to Spike, sitting down across from him.

"How are you, Spike?" she asked

"Fine," Spike replied, not interested

"And Drusilla? How is she?"

"Also fine," Spike replied, even more not interested

Giles came back into the room.

"Everything alright?" he asked

"Nothing worth mentioning," Spike said

"I see..." Giles took a seat, "Oh, I just remembered. Happy birthday, Spike."

"Thanks."

"Any celebrations planned?" Giles asked

"Yeah, gonna go round to Drusilla's for dinner."

"I see. Try not to stay up too late, we might need to convene early in the morning."

"Fine."

/

Later…

/

Angelus poured another pint of O-negative into the punch bowl, and gave it a little stir.

"Is it two or three parts O-Negative?" he asked

"Uh, two, I think," Dalton replied

"Hm…" Angelus tasted the 'punch', it was a little off, "Buffy, taste this?"

He handed her a cup. Buffy took a sip.

"It's good," she said

"Do you think it needs a dash more O?" Angelus asked

"Nope. It's perfect."

Angelus walked over to the present table.

"Shall we set this guy up?" he asked, eagerly

Buffy tried to hide her panicked expression.

"No, let's wait till the night peaks, then we'll do it," Buffy urged

"Alright, it's your party," Angelus replied, "Speaking of which, we need music!"

One of the guests turned on the speakers, and put on a CD. 'Mandy' by Barry Manilow began playing.

"Okay, who's the wise guy?" Angelus demanded angrily, taking out a stake

/

Drusilla's Place…

/

Spike walked up to Drusilla's door, and checked himself in the reflection of a window. He was wearing his black suit and black shirt, wanting to look nice for Drusilla.

"You look fine!" Drusilla called, from inside her apartment

Spike turned around, and knocked on the door. Drusilla answered it. She had gotten all dressed up for Spike; her hair was straightened, and she was wearing a new dress, one Spike hadn't seen before. It was made of crimson and black material, more intricate than her usual dresses.

"Hello, Spike," she smiled, "Won't you come in?"

"Ta," Spike replied

He stepped inside. Drusilla closed the door.

"I've just taken dinner out of the oven," she informed, "It needs a few minutes to settle."

"It smells great," Spike said

"Thank you."

/

They adjourned to Drusilla's sofa. Drusilla gave Spike a beer.

"So, how's your birthday going?" Drusilla asked, "I saw the car you drove up in. Is it new?"

"Yep," Spike nodded, "It's a Desoto. Gift from mum."

"I remember those," Drusilla recalled, "It was the final years of the fifties. Society was a quelled melting pot waiting to explode into the sixties."

"What did you do during that time?" Spike asked

"Most of the fifties, I was in a hospital."

"Was that when you got…?" Spike mimed cutting his brain, referring to a lobotomy

"The second time. But I got out in time for the sixties."

"What were the sixties like?"

"I don't remember a lot of it," Drusilla confessed

"Because it was so long ago?"

"There's that, and...well, the LSD didn't help."

/

The two of them sat down to dinner. They started with a small salad, then moved onto the main course, steak and roast potatoes. Spike hadn't eaten food of such high quality in a while, he tried to savor it, not eating too fast.

/

A short while later...

/

"That was amazing," Spike said, putting down his fork, "Thanks a lot, Dru."

"It's not over yet," Drusilla said, "For the next part of the evening, please take your clothes off and wait on the sofa."

She got up, and walked seductively into her bedroom. Spike began to do exactly what Dru ordered. He threw off his jacket and clumsily tried to undo his tie, when the phone rang.

"Could you answer that?" Drusilla asked

"Sure, luv."

Spike got up, and answered the phone.

"Hello, Drusilla's place," he said

"Spike, is that you?" Buffy asked

Spike recognized her voice.

"How did you get this number? What the hell do you want?" he demanded

"Spike, this is very important. There's a truck arriving by the Bronze in a few minutes. It contains a wooden box that Angelus wants."

"So…?"

"Tell Drusilla that it contains the left arm of the Judge."

"And what's that?"

"Just tell her!"

Buffy hung up. Spike let out an angry growl. Just before he could punch the wall in anger, music started playing (_Transylvanian Concubine_ by _Rasputina_) in Drusilla's room. Spike followed the source of it, finding Drusilla lying on the bed in a small white nightie and stockings.

"Who was that on the phone?" Drusilla asked

For a moment, Spike was tempted to tell her that it had been a wrong number, or a telemarketer, or a prank call. But he knew what he had to do.

"Buffy said…" Spike began

Drusilla knew he was going to say something bad. She turned the music off, disappointed.

"…there's a truck arriving at the Bronze," Spike said, crestfallen, "She said it was something bad."

"Left arm of the judge?"

"Yeah."

"I'll get my coat…"

/

The two of them left Drusilla's apartment for the Bronze. There was indeed a truck pulling up to it. Two drivers got out. They had fangs and yellow eyes.

"Let's go," Spike said

Spike and Drusilla charged up to the two vampires. The vamps saw them coming, but that didn't give them any advantage. The taller of the two vampires tried to punch Spike, but Spike grabbed his fist, twisted his arm, and staked him in the back. Drusilla grabbed the other vampire by the head and broke his neck. It paralyzed him long enough for Drusilla to stake him without hassle.

/

The library…

/

The crate had been brought to the school for Giles to examine. Drusilla was so agitated that she hadn't even stopped to change her clothes (she was wearing her nightie and stockings under a small coat). Ms. Calendar was there, along with Willow and Xander.

"Drusilla, is that what I think it is?" Giles asked nervously

"It's the Judge," Drusilla said

"Oh no…"

/

Willow and Xander sat on the stairs, observing the events around them.

"So what do you think Spike and Drusilla do together?" Xander joked, "I'll bet they just sit around talking about blood and...death and…hair dye."

Xander noticed Willow wasn't listening.  
>"Will," Xander called, "Willow!"<p>

Xander snapped his fingers in front of Willow.

"Huh?" Willow took her eyes off Drusilla, "Sorry, you were saying?"

/

"We have to get this out of Sunnydale," Giles said, "Angelus is destructive enough to use it."

"Drusilla," Ms. Calendar said

"Yes?"

"You have to get it out of Sunnydale," Ms. Calendar said, "You're the only one who can protect it."

"Why can't I do it?" Spike asked

"You can't skip town for a few months," Ms. Calendar reminded

Drusilla stared at Ms. Calendar for a moment. There was something not quite right about her.

"What?" Ms. Calendar asked

"You've had anti-psychic training," Drusilla noticed

"Yeah, so?" Ms. Calendar asked

"That goes way beyond your techno-paganism hobby," Drusilla said, "What are you hiding, Jenny Calendar?"

"Nothing," she insisted

Drusilla intensified her stare, but Ms. Calender's mental-blocks were too good. She gave up.

"I guess we should find a cargo ship that leaves tonight..." Drusilla muttered

/

The Docks…

/

Drusilla persuaded Spike that it was better for him to stay in Sunnydale. She did, however, let him drive her to the docks (after stopping so she could change into more appropriate attire), where there was a large cargo ship waiting to depart.

"Well…this is it," Drusilla sighed, "I'll be gone for a while, Spike."

"Any idea how long?" Spike asked

"At least a few months. Maybe a year."

Spike nodded grimly.

"Spike, I really don't want to go," Drusilla confessed, fighting back tears, "But I have to do this."

"I know," Spike was equally emotionally distressed

Drusilla looked over to the cargo ship.

"I remember the last time I was on one of these," she said, with a faint sob in her voice, "It was 1924, when I came to America for the first time. Darla and Angelus had abandoned me, I wanted to start again."

"How did that go?"

"I arrived just in time for The Great Depression," Drusilla said, clearly irked

"Damn."

"I'll miss you Spike."

"I'll wait for you," Spike promised, "I don't care if it takes an eternity, I won't…"

Suddenly, four vampires ambushed Spike and Drusilla. Two of them went after Spike, two after Drusilla. One stood behind Spike, kicking him while the other delivered repeated punches to Spike's face. A vampire grabbed The Judge's arm from Drusilla, the other kicked her through the railing and into the water.

"Big mistake," Spike growled

Spike grabbed the vampire behind him, shoved him in front of the other vampire, and lanced their hearts with his stake.

"Who wants to go next?" Spike demanded

The two standing vampires exchanged glances. The one holding the box took off running. Spike began running after him, but the other vampire got in his way. Spike staked him in the throat and shoved him aside. By then, the vampire with The Judge's arm was nowhere in sight.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	33. Surprise: Part 3

/

/

/

Giles, Willow, Xander, and Ms. Calendar were engrossed in their books. Oz had been called in, but he had gone outside for a smoke-break.

"Shouldn't Spike be back by now?" Xander asked

"He probably needed a minute to get himself together," Willow said, "Poor Spike, on his birthday."

"True, but imagine how their relationship would have turned out," Ms. Calendar reminded, "Spike getting older and envying Drusilla's immortality, Drusilla growing tired of Spike slaughtering her friends for a living…"

"...and then I steal Drusilla away from Spike, causing a rift between us until he's driven to kill me in a crime of passion," Oz said, walking back inside

Everyone was surprised; Oz had managed to come in unheard and unseen. He flicked his cigarette into the trash, and sat back down at the table.

"Would you really steal Drusilla?" Willow asked

"Maybe, but I'd prefer a cute redhead," Oz replied

He looked to Willow, who smiled at the compliment.

"Nah, you don't want one of those, they're so whiny," Xander said

"Uh!" Willow was very insulted

"Xander!" Ms. Calendar scolded

"Ah, she knows I'm joking," Xander playfully ruffled Willow's hair, "Right Will?"

/

The library doors burst open, and Spike walked in. Everyone stared at him. His clothes and hair were soaking wet, and he looked more irritated than usual.

"Did you and Drusilla decide to swim to a remote location?" Xander asked

Spike slapped Xander in the back of the head, putting full force into it.

"Ow!" Xander exclaimed

"Spike, I know you're upset about Drusilla leaving…" Ms. Calendar began

"She's not going to leave, Angelus' lackeys got the box," Spike replied, irritably

"Are you serious?" Giles asked

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "Dru had to go home and get clothes."

"Why?" Giles asked

"Got pushed into the water," Spike informed, "Anyway, the judge, what do we know?"

"The more I study the Judge, the less I like him," Giles said, "His touch can literally burn the humanity out of you. A true creature of evil can survive the process. No human ever has."

"Can we stop him without an army?" Spike asked

"According to the research, no weapon forged can stop him," Giles said, "If we can't stop them from assembling him, we need to know his weak points."

"So all-nighter?" Willow asked

"Better do a round robin," Xander suggested

"What's that?" Giles asked

"It's when everybody calls everybody else's mom and tells them they're staying at everyone's house," Willow explained, "Frees us up for studying."

/

Later…

/

Spike had fallen asleep at the table.

_He was in the desert again. This time, Ethan Rayne **and** Amy Madison were there, having a picnic.  
><em>

"_Spike, come sit down," Ethan offered  
><em>

_Spike complied. Amy reached into the picnic basket.  
><em>

"_Drink?" she offered_

"_God, yes," Spike replied_

_Amy poured a bright red cocktail into a glass, placed an umbrella into it, and handed it to Spike._

"_It's a strawberry daiquiri," Amy explained_

_Spike was reluctant to drink a girl drink._

"_Don't worry, no one can judge you in a dream," Ethan assured_

_Spike took a sip. It was alright._

"_Now, what have you found out?" Ethan asked_

"_Buffy and Angelus are going to assemble someone called the judge," Spike said_

"_Oh dear," Ethan sighed, "Do you have a plan?"_

"_Was kind of hoping you could help me out with that," Spike replied_

"_I'm a magician, not a Watcher," Ethan informed, "Speaking of which, Rupert **is** probably your best bet."_

"_Well can you show me something from the future?" Spike asked, "Like you did last time?"_

_"I'll try."  
><em>

_Ethan reached into his satchel, and took out his orb. It was glowing a strange purple color. Ethan muttered a few Latin words, and the surroundings of the dream changed. The three of them were no longer in the desert, they were standing in the warehouse, at the vampire party. The Judge had not yet been assembled._

"_Spike, do you know where this is?" Ethan asked_

"_Yeah, it's the warehouse," Spike said_

"_Wow, real clever," Amy muttered_

_Spike took a quick look around the warehouse. There was something familiar about it.  
><em>

"_I think I've been here before," Spike said_

/

Spike opened his eyes. He looked over to Drusilla in Giles' office.

"Spike!" Drusilla advanced to him, "Did you have a premonition?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "I know where Angelus and Buffy are."

"Perfect. What's the plan?"

"You and me, we go do a little recon on them," Spike informed, "Everyone else, check the docks, the airports, anything, see how many of the boxes are in town."

/

The Warehouse…

/

Spike and Drusilla entered the warehouse through the roof, sneaking along the walkway. They looked down on the party below. Everyone was gathered around the Judge, who had been put together.

"Bloody hell!" Drusilla gasped

"Okay, this was a bad plan," Spike whispered, "Let's go before…"

Suddenly, there was a loud creak.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"I think I know why they abandoned this place," Spike said nervously

The entire walkway broke off from the wall. Spike and Drusilla fell down to the warehouse floor, alerting everyone to their presence.

"Get them!" Angelus ordered

At once, several vampires ran up to Spike and Drusilla, seizing them. Angelus approached them, with the Judge following.

"Spike Summers," Angelus growled

"Shall I ignite this one?" The Judge offered

"No," Angelus shook his head, "I'm going to deal with him personally."

Angelus loomed closer to Spike.

"I plan on taking you to the basement and teaching you a new definition of pain," Angelus taunted, "I have some special torture instruments for such an occasion. Ones I personally raided from the chambers of the Marquis De Sade."

Spike waited a moment, then asked:

"Is it just me, or has your voice gotten higher?"

The vampires roared with laughter. Angelus was fuming with rage.

"Shut up!" he yelled

He hurled his stake at Dalton, who was laughing the loudest. He exploded into dust, silencing everyone.

"On second thoughts, burn him up," Angelus instructed  
>The Judge nodded, and reached down to Spike. Spike could sense his power, and could smell him burning specs of dust in the air.<p>

"Do you like your slayers fried or roasted?" Angelus teased Drusilla

Spike didn't feel like being burnt to a crisp. He hoisted himself up by the vampires that held him, and kicked the Judge in the chest. It didn't move the Judge, but it broke Spike free of the vampires that were restraining him. Spike then grabbed a chain from off the wall, intending to use it as a weapon. To his surprise, the chain broke, and the several TVs it held up came crashing down onto the Judge. Drusilla got free of the vampires holding her, and ran out the warehouse door. Spike started to do the same, but stopped.

"Who hangs a bloody TV set from the ceiling?" he pointed out, "Can't you ponces afford wall mounts?"

Then he left. Fast.

/

Drusilla's Apartment…

/

The two of them were very exhausted by the time they made it back to Drusilla's place.

"That was a close one," Spike said

"Agreed," Drusilla nodded, "Good thing the Judge was standing under those TVs."

Spike nodded, yawning.

"Would you still like to stay over tonight?" Drusilla offered

"Sure. Don't really feel like driving home in the rain."

"Very good."

Spike proceeded to walk to the bedroom.

"I just need to take care of something, then I'll come join you," Drusilla informed

/

Drusilla went to her fridge, and took out a bloodbag and her pills. She took a Claritol with a cup of blood, and immediately felt the mental clearness that came with it.

"I wonder…" Drusilla checked the pill bottle, reading the side-effects, "Exceeding recommended dose may cause headaches, nausea, birth defects, sensitivity to sunlight..."

Drusilla took a second pill, deciding to risk it. It took a few minutes, but the pill increased Drusilla's psychic prowess. She could feel Spike's inner sensitivity, Angelus' destructiveness, Buffy's longing sorrow, and some of Joyce's artistic aspirations. The power was incredible.

"Dru, you coming to bed or what?" Spike asked

"Just a second!"

/

Drusilla climbed into bed with Spike. Spike soon fell asleep, but Drusilla couldn't shut off her mind. She got out of bed, making sure not to wake Spike. She took another pill. Her abilities increased even more. Drusilla could see the future, at least scraps of it. Several months from now, Spike would mourn the death of someone he'd recently met. Exactly a year later, Spike would express intense anger and hatred towards Giles. And just over three years in the future, Drusilla couldn't sense Spike at all. It frightened her.

"That could mean anything," the vampire tried to assure herself

Drusilla didn't believe herself. She had to know what would happen to Spike.

"This is the last one I take," Drusilla promised herself

She swallowed another pill. Her visions of the future did become more clear, but not as clear as Drusilla wanted them. In a foolish move, Drusilla picked up the medicine bottle, and swallowed the last three pills. The medicine abolished the limits to Drusilla's psychic abilities. She could see everything, all of time and space, everything that ever was and would be. It was a moment of pure clarity.

"Wow..." Drusilla exhaled

But her mind couldn't contain it all. Drusilla collapsed on the floor, crying and laughing. With her last ounce of sanity, Drusilla dragged herself out of the apartment and outside. She knew what was going to happen, and fruitlessly tried to stop it. She wanted help, she wanted comforting, she wanted…

"Spike!" she cried

/

/

/

To be continued…


	34. Innocence: Part 1

/

/

/

Drusilla was lying on the street, writhing in pain. Then the pain stopped. She was free of all burden and responsibility.

"Sweetie, are you alright?" a woman asked, "Do you want me to call 911?"

Drusilla suddenly shot up, revealing her vampire-face to the woman.

"You should," Drusilla advised

Then Drusilla sunk her fangs into the woman's neck, sucking out her blood at an incredible rate. It had been years since she had fed from a human, and she was incredibly thirsty. Once the woman was dead, Drusilla let her fall to the ground.

"But they won't get here in time."

Drusilla licked her lips.

"Very sweet. Like clover."

/

The Summers' House…

/

Spike walked in through the kitchen door, finding Joyce cooking breakfast.

"Hey Spike," she said

"Hey mum."

Spike walked to the cupboard, and took out a box of cereal. He poured it directly into his mouth from the box and chased it with milk.

"So, what did you get up to last night?" Joyce asked

Spike swallowed his cereal.

"Had dinner with Drusilla, then slept over at Oz's," Spike recited his planned deception

"That's nice," Joyce decided to believe the lie

"Yeah…"

Spike began to leave the room, but then stopped.

"No, I don't want to lie," Spike said, "Truth is, I slept over at Drusilla's."

"Did you…?"

"We have done, just not last night."

"Oh," Joyce wasn't comfortable with the subject, "How long has…it…been going on?"

"That night I defeated the Master. We were both glad that I was alive."

"Ah…I guess that's a good reason," was the only thing Joyce could think of to say

"Yeah. But the thing is, we're not just two people having sex. I love her. I know a lot of people my age say that, but I really do. I love her."

Joyce saw the expression on Spike's face, one of happiness and optimism. Joyce had been afraid that she would never see that look again.

"I see...Spike, although I'm not thrilled about it…I'm glad you have the right attitude."

/

The warehouse…

/

Angelus was sweeping the warehouse floor, cleaning up after the party.

"You know, you could help me out a bit!" Angelus barked at the Judge

"I am preparing myself," the Judge informed

"Whatever…"

Angelus looked over to Buffy, who was struggling to get her wheelchair down the stairs. He tried not to laugh.

"That was some night," Angelus said, "Sorry I slaughtered all those guests, but you know, I get so caught up in the moment."

Buffy finally got down the stairs, and wheeled over to her lover.

"It's alright," she lied, "I had a great time."

Angelus heard the warehouse doors open.

"You're late!" he yelled, "Party finished hours ago!"

"Well I suppose the fairies will make quite a fuss about this little endeavor…"

Drusilla revealed herself, gliding out from behind a stack of crates. Angelus immediately sensed her lack of soul, and dropped the broom in shock.

"Lucifer be praised…" he gasped

Drusilla laughed, and advanced towards him.

"The King of Cups expects a picnic, but it is not his birthday," she teased

Buffy wheeled herself next to Angelus.

"How do we know she's not faking it?" Buffy asked skeptically

Drusilla strolled up to Buffy and grabbed her by the side of her wheelchair, tipping her over. Buffy fell out of the chair and onto the floor, thoroughly hurt and humiliated.

"It's definitely her," Angelus grinned

Drusilla and her sire embraced, holding each other tightly. Angelus didn't bother to help Buffy up.

"How did this happen?" Angelus asked, eagerly

"After eating too many of the magic sweets, I saw the entire universe," Drusilla said, "It made my brain fizzle and crackle. And I became me again."

Angelus kissed her.

"I cannot tell you how much I missed that," he said, referring to Dru's crazy-talk

"Yes, we must do some catching up," Drusilla replied

Angelus and Drusilla started up the stairs to Angelus' room, ignoring Buffy's struggles.

/

School…

/

"So you just fell asleep together?" Cordelia asked, "That's…kind of nice."

Cordelia and Spike were standing outside the gym, smoking.

"Yeah, it was," Spike agreed

"But why wasn't she there in the morning?" Cordelia asked

"She does that some times," Spike explained, "Goes on a kind of walkabout. Usually turns up in an abandoned church or an antique store."

"She's messed up," Cordelia said, "No offense, but really, she is."

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "But the thing is, so am I, really. We sort of...fit."

"I wish Oz and I could have been like that," Cordelia regretted

Spike noticed her use of past tense.

"You two are over?"

"Not officially, but it's safe to say we've both given up," Cordelia admitted

"Oh."

Cordelia waited for Spike to ask why. He didn't.

"We're just too different," she explained, "No chemistry."

Spike extinguished his cigarette.

"Got anyone in mind for your next boyfriend?" Spike asked

"I don't know," Cordelia admitted

"Too many to choose?"

"No, it's just…I'm not in any hurry."

Spike had noticed the change in Cordelia's behavior, how she had distanced herself from her friends, not really showing much interest in life.

"I hate Sunnydale…" Spike muttered

/

The Warehouse…

/

Drusilla was lying on a table, staring up at the ceiling.

"What are you up to?" Angelus asked

"I'm counting all the stars," Drusilla replied

"Do you still give them all the same name?" Angelus grinned

"Oh yes. There's a terrible confusion."

Buffy made her way into the room.

"So, how do we announce your side-change to Spike?" she asked, "I say we go straight to the home turf, wait for him on the front lawn of his house."

"No, that won't work," Angelus said, "We need to make it personal, more intimate…"

Drusilla picked up a pack of Tarot cards, and flicked two of them at Angelus.

"The Tower…" Angelus read, "…and the Lovers."

He made the connection.

"Oh, that's brilliant!" he grinned

/

Later…

/

Spike was back in Drusilla's apartment, eager to see her again. He had started writing a new poem about her, and he wanted to share the rough draft. It was called "The Fable of the Dark Haired Beauty and her Brave Knight".

"Spike, is that you?" Drusilla asked

Her bedroom door opened. She stepped out, clad in only a bed-sheet.

"Hey," Spike said, "Thought I'd come see you."

Drusilla remained silent.

"I-I wrote another poem," Spike said, taking out his poetry book, "Want to hear it?"

"Must I?" Drusilla sighed

"Well, um, not if you don't want to…"

A naked Angelus walked out of Drusilla's bedroom and stood behind Druisilla, wrapping his arms around her.

"Drusilla, is this guy bothering you?" he teased

Spike was mortified. He expected Drusilla to start beating up Angelus or beg for help, but instead she slowly tilted her head, letting the man kiss her neck.

"He wants me to listen to one of his god-awful pieces of poetry," Drusilla laughed

"A poem?" Angelus repeated, mockingly, "Boy recons himself a poet?"

Before Spike could stop him, Angelus reached forward and grabbed Spike's book. He and Drusilla looked over it, sniggering at every line.

"Effulgent!" Angelus howled with laughter

"Stop…" Spike pleaded, brokenly

"Oh god, please tell me he didn't write that one about you," Angelus pointed to a page

"Afraid so," Drusilla said

Spike began to leave.  
>"Spike, wait," Drusilla said<p>

Spike turned around, seeing Drusilla with a sad and almost apologetic look on her face. Then it changed back to a malevolent grin.

"Take your silly book with you," she said

Drusilla hurled the book at Spike, hitting him in the face and leaving a cut just above his left eye. At that point, Spike ran out.

/

Sunnydale High…

/

Willow was in the hallway, trying to find her way back to the library. It wasn't easy with the hallway lights off.

"Hello, Willow," Drusilla said

Willow turned to face her.

"Oh, hey," Willow said

Drusilla approached the redhead.

"I've seen the way you look at me, you naughty girl," Drusilla teased

"I…I don't know what you mean," Willow lied

"What would your parents think, Willow?" Drusilla teased, "What would your father say...what would he do if he knew of those feeling you had? The ones you choose to hide so deep…?"

"Stop that!" Willow begged

Drusilla ran a sharp fingernail down the side of Willow's head, leaving a scratch mark but not a cut.

"You have really lovely skin," Drusilla said, "I wonder what it will look like when I pull it all off of you?"

She morphed to her vampire face; at that point, Willow kicked Drusilla in the shin, and got away from her. She took out her Star of David necklace, holding it up threateningly.

"Don't make me use this!" Willow warned

"That doesn't work on vampires," Drusilla laughed

She advanced towards Willow, morphing into her vampire face. Willow responded by taking off the necklace and swinging it at Drusilla. It DID work, cutting a burn mark across her neck.

"Ah!" Drusilla screeched

The library doors opened, and Oz and Xander stepped out, hearing Willow's cries.

"Drusilla," Oz noted, "Have you seen Spike?"

"I don't think we'll be seeing William for quite some time," Drusilla informed

Oz caught on that something was up; he knew how much Spike hated being called William.

"What's going on?" Oz demanded

"She…she was threatening me," Willow said, "Said she…wanted to pull off my skin."

"I knew you were no good," Xander growled

He took out two stakes, preparing to fight. Drusilla laughed.

"Alexander, despite those fantasies you have, you're not Colonel Fury," Drusilla taunted, "You're not even **_Sergeant_** Fury."

Xander was surprised that Drusilla knew that he dreamt of being Nick Fury. Just surprised, not shocked.

"I can see into your mind," Drusilla said, "I know ten minutes ago you were trying to repress the memory of your drunken father at your seventh birthday party."

Xander tried to remain strong, but he was clearly shaken.

"What the hell is with you tonight?" Oz demanded coolly

"You could say…I'm not myself," Drusilla replied, "No, actually, I'm very much myself. More than I've been in decades…"

"You've lost your soul," Oz realized

Drusilla looked disappointed.

"I was trying to do a dramatic monologue!" she yelled, "You ruined it! You…"

She tried to find something to say that would scare Oz, but it wasn't easy. Oz was very secure in who he was. Drusilla gave up probing his mind.

"I'll be seeing you all very soon," Drusilla informed, "And remember, I have invites to yours and your houses."

She left, making sure not to turn her back to the gang.

/

The Parking Lot by the Cemetery...

/

Buffy was in the backseat of a stolen car with Harmony, trying to feed off of her.

"Hold still!" Buffy yelled, slapping the girl, "You're only making it worse for yourself!"

She pierced Harmony's neck with her fangs, and began to lap up the blood. Harmony was screaming and crying.

"Please, stop!" Harmony exclaimed, "I'll do anything…!"

"Shut up or I'll gag you!" Buffy threatened

As Buffy prepared to sink her fangs back into Harmony, she noticed Spike out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting in a car parked close to Buffy's, looking depressed. To Buffy, it was like a train wreck, terrible but hard to look away from.

"Now I see you for what you truly are, an emotional wreck," Buffy muttered to herself, "I can't believe I ever…"

Then suddenly, Spike kicked his car door open, and grabbed the vampire that had just run past by the head. Spike proceeded to kick his teeth in before staking him.

"OK, now I can believe," Buffy decided

Deciding to risk it, Buffy got out of the car (which Harmony then escaped from), and walked over on crutches to Spike. It took an awkward amount of time for her to get over to Spike.

"Oh, what the hell do you want?" Spike groaned, not seeing Buffy as a threat

"I heard what Angel and Drusilla did to you," Buffy said, sounding genuinely understanding, "It was mean, even for them."

"Angel?" Spike repeated

"Oh, that's just what I call him," Buffy said quickly, hoping Spike would forget it, "Um, what I was thinking was, Angelus and Drusilla have kind of screwed us both over, so if you wanted to get back at them, I'd be up for…"

"You want us to screw?" Spike completed

"Well yeah, it'd be an act of vengeance thing."

Spike looked over to Buffy condescendingly.

"How do I defeat the Judge?" he asked, changing the subject

"If you want to know how, you're going to have to do something for me first..."

Spike kicked away her crutches, and shoved her against his Desoto.

"Tell me the Judge's weakness, or I cut open your skull and feed you your brain!" Spike growled

"Ugh! Spike, you're disgusting!"

"I'm disgusting? You're the one who drinks blood!"

"Blood is natural! It's what brings life!"

"So do body fluids, would you drink someone's…?"

"If you promise never to finish that sentence, I'll tell you how to defeat the judge!"

"Alright."

"I looked in one of Angel's…Angelus' books, and I think…I think the Judge might be easier to beat than you think."

"Go on..."

"_No weapon forged can defeat him_ isn't a prophecy, it's a statement from a soldier who tried to kill him," Buffy explained, "Back then forged weapons just meant swords, crossbows, arrows, that stuff."

"So you think something bigger could take this bloke down?" Spike asked

"Probably. Do you have something big?"

"Uh…can of napalm?"

"That won't…you have napalm ? !" Buffy was overwhelmed

"Yeah, Willow found me a website that showed how to make it. Then she tried to get me to read her fanfiction."

"Why?"

"I dunno. Red wanted some feedback, I guess."

"I mean why did you make napalm?"

"I was saving it to use on you."

"You were?"

"Well I meant for it to be a surprise, maybe pull it out in a final showdown."

"You wanted us to have a final showdown?" Buffy was flattered

"Someday, maybe."

"So…are we enemies?" Buffy asked longingly

"You want to be enemies _**AND**_ sleep together?"

"Yeah, it would be like we were married."

Buffy fluttered her eyelashes at Spike, attempting to appeal to him. He tried to fight it, and tried to think of a good excuse to leave.

"I have to go tell Giles what you said about the Judge," Spike blurted out

"Can't it wait?"

"No."

"Fine. But if you're interested, there's an abandoned house on Sixth Street that I'm going to stay in tonight. Perhaps you'll come join me?"

In an attempt to show dominance, Buffy left first. Spike watched her walk to her car. Buffy sensed he was looking at her, and cheekily hoisted up the back of her skirt and flashed Spike.

"See you later, slayer..."

/

/

/

To be continued...

**A/N: I know the idea of Willow having a Star of David necklace might seem like a stereotype, but I'll justify it either in the next chapter or the one after that.**


	35. Innocence: Part 2

/

/

/

Spike arrived at the library, finding everyone in a shaken state.

"An update from the battlefield," Spike said, oblivious to everyone's feelings, "Drusilla's gone back to Angelus, so we won't be seeing that bitch around anytime soon."

"Spike…" Willow tried to tell him before he got too far

"Before you ask, I'm gonna to be fine," Spike cut her off, "I'll get over it as long as no ones talks about her. Or mentions her name. Or anything that sounds like it."

He sat down in a chair, putting his feet up on the table.

"So, what have I missed?" Spike asked

No one wanted to say it.

"Come on, I know something's up," Spike said, "What is it? Monsters? Demons?"

He looked to Willow for information. She avoided his glance, looking to Cordelia for support. Cordelia knew what she had to do.

"You're his friend! You tell him!" she hissed, giving Oz a shove

Spike could tell by the build-up that he wasn't going to like what they had to say.

"Oh, what happened now?" Spike groaned

/

Oz told Spike about Drusilla, everything that had gone down.

"We believe she's lost her soul," Giles summed up

"Can that happen?" Spike asked

"Magic usually conducts itself in complicated ways," Giles said, "There might have been a condition in the original spell, something that would change her.

"I got a lot of questions right now. But the thing that's really bothering me is..." Spike turned to Willow, "Why were you wearing a Star of David necklace?"

"Oh, well, you know, I'm Jewish," Willow said quickly, not wanting to give the real reason

"Yeah, but it's not like you to use it as a fashion statement," Spike reminded

Willow uneasily looked at the necklace.

"Actually…Drusilla gave it to me," Willow admitted, "She said I might need it someday."

"So this whole time, she knew what was going to happen to her?" Cordelia asked

"Maybe..." Spike didn't know how to process that, "Sometimes when she sees the future, she can't avoid it, just change it a little for the better."

/

"So Stars of David work on vampires?" Xander wanted to change the subject, "I thought it was only crucifixes?"

"It's a symbol of faith," Giles said, "The faith is what repels the vampires."

"Would a menorah work?" Willow asked

"Well, some sacred items…" Giles began

"What about the stuff...Hindus think is sacred?" Willow asked, saying the first religion that came to mind

"Cows, right?" Oz asked

"Cows repel vampires?" Cordelia asked

The conversation went on like that for about ten minutes.

/

"New subject," Spike insisted, "According to Buffy, The Judge can be killed if we have something powerful enough."

"What about your napalm?" Willow suggested

"You have napalm?" Giles asked, worried

"We'll need more than that," Spike ignored Giles

Xander got up eagerly.

"I think I can help with that," he said

He began to draw a diagram on the whiteboard.

"Fort Sunnydale," Xander explained, "There's the gate, there's the armory, where the weapons are stored."

He placed the cap on his pen, and picked up a pointer.

"I still have my army know-how from Halloween," Xander continued, "I know the patrols, the access codes, everything."

He pointed to the fence.

"I can sneak in there, get something big," he informed

"And how do you plan to do that?" Cordelia asked, skeptically

"I'll need you, in something trampy," Xander replied, "And Oz. For his van."

/

The Next Day…

/

_Spike was in Drusilla's apartment. He could feel that something was out of place, but couldn't see it. This time, there was no Ethan Rayne around to help him._

_/_

_After a few minutes of searching the apartment, he found an empty bottle lying on the counter. Drusilla was usually so careful in putting away her medicine. Spike picked the bottle up, and read the label. On one side, it read 'Claritol'. On the other side, big black letters read: TERRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS. Then suddenly, a hand swooped in, and grabbed the bottle. A hand belonging to Ms. Calendar.  
><em>

/

Spike woke up. For a moment, he was very confused, but then he realized what the dream was telling him.

/

Spike stepped into Ms. Calendar's classroom, acting on rage alone. He didn't care that a full classroom of students and Giles were there.

"Spike, what are you doing here?" Ms. Calendar asked

It took her a second to realize what had happened.

"Spike, before you do anything you might regr…"

Spike grabbed her by the throat, shoving her down onto the desk.

"What did you do?" Spike yelled

Giles yanked Spike away by the back of his neck.

"Should I get the principal?" a student asked

"No, I'll deal with this," Giles growled, "Everyone leave!"

/

Giles forced Spike down into a chair. Spike had never seen him so angry.

"Explain yourself!" he demanded

"I had a slayer dream," Spike massaged his neck from where Giles had tugged at it, "I don't know how, but she's involved in what happened to Drusilla!"

"Oh, Spike, even you should know not to trust slayer dreams!" Giles muttered, "It doesn't…"

"He's right," Ms. Calendar interrupted

Giles was shocked.

"Jenny, what do you mean?" he asked

Ms. Calendar closed the door.

"I've been lying to you. To all of you. My real name is Janna Kalderash," she admitted

"Of the Kalderash Clan?" Spike asked

"Yes. My people were the ones who cursed Drusilla with her soul. They sent me here to keep an eye on Drusilla, make sure this didn't happen."

"What caused it to?" Spike demanded

"From what I've read, her ensoulment was conditional on her insanity," Ms. Calendar explained

"She said her new pills were working really well," Spike said

"That might have been it."

"So what are you standing around here for?" Spike demanded, "Go resoul her!"

"It doesn't work that way. The magics have been lost for decades. We should go see my uncle Enyos. He knows more about it than I do."

/

Later that day…

/

Giles, Ms. Calendar, and Spike were at the hotel that Enyos was staying at.

"I thought you gypsy people stayed in caravans?" Spike asked

"I don't know which part of that is more offensive," Ms. Calendar sighed

She knocked on the door of her Uncle's room.

"Enyos, Spike Summers and Rupert Giles are here…" she began

The door opened all the way, revealing Enyos, dead on the floor. His throat had been slit.

"Oh!" Ms. Calendar clasped her mouth, and turned away

Spike then noticed a note on the dead man's chest, written in Drusilla's handwriting. It read:

_I think we should see other people…_

"She's just trying to make it harder for you, Spike," Giles attempted to console him

"Well it didn't work. If anything, she's made it easier."

Spike reached inside his coat and eagerly gripped his stake. He knew what he had to do.

/

Fort Sunnydale…

/

Oz stopped the van by the base's fence. Willow looked out the window.

"Are there always that many soldiers there?" she asked, scared

"It's not that many," Xander insisted

"But they have guns," Willow added, "Lots of them! You just want to just waltz in there?"

"They won't shoot me," Xander retorted, "Worst case scenario, I get arrested."

"Arrested for impersonating a soldier," Oz reminded

"Well do you have a better idea?" Xander asked, irritated

"Actually…yes."

Oz grabbed his backpack, and got out of the car.

"Oz, wait!" Willow urged

/

Oz leapt up onto the fence, climbing over it. Sticking to the shadows, he made his way to the armory. Once inside, he took a look around. Everything was well labeled. They all seemed so complicated, so conditional, but then Oz saw something that seemed right.

/

Oz climbed back into his van.

"What did you get?" Xander asked

Oz unzipped his backpack, and showed it to the group. Willow was equally impressed and scared. Cordelia nodded, approvingly.

"So you couldn't get the bazooka?" Xander asked, unimpressed

/

The Warehouse…

/

Angelus and Drusilla were feeding from a human they had captured outside the warehouse. It was a very enjoyable experience for them, until a bolt of electricity was fired through the victim, incinerating him.

"What the...?" Angelus asked

He turned to face the Judge, who was standing up, his arm outstretched and crackling with electricity.

"I am ready," he announced

/

/

/

To be continued…


	36. Innocence: Part 3

**A/N: Sorry about the last chapter (specifically, about it being bad). I got halfway through writing it, and then I realized I'd made a continuity error (I thought the scene where Angelus attacks Willow happened on the same night that they blew up the Judge), and didn't want to start from scratch. I won't do that again...**

/

/

/

The library…

/

Oz placed his backpack down in front of Spike, and opened it up.

"Good?" Oz asked

Spike looked in the bag.

"Oh yeah," Spike nodded

"We need to find out where Angelus will take the Judge," Giles said

"Somewhere with a lot of people, right?" Spike asked, "Maybe the Bronze?"

"It's closed tonight," Spike reminded

"Well it's not like there's anywhere people are lining up to be killed?" Willow asked

Then she realized.

"I know!" she raised her hand, as if she was in class

/

Sunnydale Mall...

/

Angelus, Drusilla, the Judge, and several of Angelus' vampire lackeys entered through the fire exit on a landing. One unlucky man had been going that way; the Judge burnt him up in seconds.

"Now picture that happening to everyone on earth," the Judge suggested

The thought made Angelus' mouth water. Drusilla reveled at the idea, throwing her head back and moaning.

"Everyone, cover the exits," Angelus told his henchmen

/

The Judge positioned himself at the top of a flight of stairs, overlooking the food court. He extended his hands, and fired out his energy beam. It penetrated everyone, freezing them on the spot.

"Come on, destroy them already!" Angelus cheered

The Judge was about to deliver the killing blow, when Spike revealed himself from behind the concession stand. He shot the Judge three times with a paintball gun (one of the other things that Oz had liberated from the armory).

"Oi, Smurf-man!" Spike yelled

The Judge turned to face him.

"Oh, it's you…" The Judge growled

Spike tossed his gun aside.

"You're a fool, no weapon forged can defeat me!" The Judge boasted

"That was then, this is now…"

He opened his coat, revealing a bandolier of grenades. The humans in the room panicked, and ran to the exits. Spike began yanking the pins off the grenades and hurling them in rapid succession, landing six or seven of them by the Judge's feet. Angelus and Drusilla leapt away from them, down onto the ground floor. The Judge eyed the grenades, and began to laugh.

"You missed me," he taunted

/

KABOOM!

/

Chunks of the Judge scattered on the floor. Angelus and Drusilla immediately bolted for the exit. Spike chased them, ditching his grenades in favor of a stake. He caught up to Drusilla, shoving her into the wall. She laughed at him. Angelus hit Spike in the jaw, sending him spinning.

"He sees himself as the brave soldier," Drusilla taunted, "The shell-shocked veteran who keeps fighting."

Angelus tried to hit Spike again; Spike grabbed his hand, twisted his arm, and repeatedly kicked him.

"You continued to…" Drusilla began

"Dru, not now!" Angelus yelled

"I'm sorry!" she stopped talking

Spike slugged Angelus, Angelus slammed his hand down on Spike's shoulder blade, then Spike tried to stake Angelus, and it would have worked if he hadn't accidentally grabbed his pack of cigarettes.

"What the hell?" Angelus asked

He kicked Spike in the chest. Spike was about to retaliate when Drusilla stepped in front of him, stretching herself out.

"Go ahead Spike, do it," Drusilla teased, "Stake me. Impale me…"

Spike got up, and prepared to strike. He held up his stake, but couldn't do it.

"I knew you couldn't," Drusilla said, "…William."

/

Spike re-joined the gang. They were picking up the pieces of the Judge.

"I got an arm!" Willow called

Giles noticed Spike.

"Did you get Angelus and Drusilla?" he asked

Spike looked away.

"They're gone," he muttered

/

Later…

/

Oz and Spike were walking to Oz's van. Spike didn't feel much like talking. Oz didn't want to force Spike to talk, but he wanted to tell the slayer that he didn't blame Spike for not being able to kill Drusilla, and comfort Spike with the fact that since he was the only person this had ever happened to, there was no real way of judging his actions, that it was very ambiguous. But instead, Oz asked:

"Do you want me to take you home?"

"Could you drop me off somewhere?" Spike asked

"Uh, okay, where?"

"Sixth Street…"

/

Oz stopped the van in front of the abandoned house that Spike had indicated.

"Thanks for the lift, see you tomorrow," Spike said, getting out

"Uh, Spike," Oz caught his attention, "I've got a couple of guns I stole from the armory. We could go fire them off on Kingman's Bluff?"

"Some other time," Spike replied

"Or...we could go to your place and watch TV?" Oz suggested

"Oz, I'm just not in the mood, okay?" Spike sighed

Oz realized he wasn't going to help Spike anytime soon. He nodded, and drove away.

/

For a few minutes, Spike stood outside the house, contemplating his next move. He was about to commit an unthinkable act. It was bad enough that he'd had sex with a vampire, but having sex with one that didn't even have a soul was much worse. Spike knew that it would be crossing a line. It had been less than twenty-four hours since Drusilla had lost her soul, and Spike had immediately given up on her. Spike wondered if his ability to quickly move on was one of his slayer-skills, like his faster healing.

"Bugger this…" Spike muttered

He sat down on the front porch of the house, and looked for a pack of cigarettes. He emptied his pockets, taking out his keys, flask, stake, mini-crucifix, knife, lighter, and poetry book, but no cigarettes. Then Spike remembered he had thrown them at Angelus. Spike angrily started restocking his pockets, starting with the poetry book.

"Fat lot of good you did me…" Spike growled

Angrily, he tossed the book out into the streets, hoping that an eighteen-wheeler would get to it first.

"Spike?" Buffy asked

Spike looked up, and saw Buffy sticking her head out the window on the top floor.

"Are you coming up, or should I come down there?" Buffy asked

"Be right up," Spike gathered up his various items

/

Spike walked upstairs, finding the bedroom that Buffy was in. She sat on a dirty mattress in her short skirt and tank top. Candles were lit around the bed; Buffy hadn't intended for it to be romantic, she just wanted to be able to see.

"I was hoping you'd still be here," Spike said

"I thought I told you I'd be here yesterday," Buffy reminded

"Something came up," Spike muttered, "So, you still in the mood to get it on?"

"Well, you don't like to beat around the bush," Buffy noticed, "But yes, we're doing it."

The two of them walked to the middle of the room. They gazed into each other's eyes. Then they grabbed each other, aggressively kissing. Buffy got caught up in the heat of the moment, and her vampire face came out, cutting Spike's lip.

"Gah!" Spike grimaced

He backed away, and saw Buffy's fangs. Instinctively, he shoved her away and punched her in the face. Buffy slammed her elbow into Spike's chest. Spike let out a battle cry, and charged towards Buffy. He grabbed her, and the two of them went crashing through the wall and onto the floor.

"I'm going to kill…!" Spike began

Buffy shut him up by kissing him. Spike accepted it. Then it was his turn to make a move.

/

"Ohuhuh!" Buffy exhaled, "Give it to me, Spike!"

Spike did as he was told. Buffy and Spike were too busy having sex to notice the floorboards getting weaker…

"Harder! Harder!" Buffy yelled

Spike complied, letting out a charged howl. It was too much for the floor; the floorboards gave way. The vampire and the slayer went crashing down to the floor beneath them. Spike gave almost no notice to it, and kept going.

/

Later…

/

Spike had exhausted the last of his physical and mental energy. He collapsed onto Buffy, then rolled over next to her.

"That was…interesting," Buffy exhaled, "All these years, I've been killing slayers, when I should have been fu…"

"Did that ceiling get higher?" Spike asked, looking up

/

Later…

/

"Spike?" Buffy tapped him on the shoulder, "Spike!"

"Hm?" Spike muttered, waking up

"I have to go beneath ground," Buffy explained, "The sun's almost up. Come say goodbye before you leave?"

"Sure…"

/

Later…

/

Spike woke up, his watch-alarm bleeping (he had set it so he wouldn't be late for school). He got up, and looked around the abandoned house he was in.

"What the hell did I do last night?" Spike asked

Then he remembered. It brought a cheeky grin to his face. The slayer walked over to a pile of his clothes. There was a note pinned to them:

_Spike,_

_I'm in the basement. Payphone outside._

_Buffy XX_

/

Spike got dressed, and walked to the aforementioned payphone. He phoned Oz and asked him for a lift home. Spike then walked back into the house, down into the basement. He found Buffy down there, listening to a CD player and reading a fashion magazine.

"Hey, you," Buffy pulled her headphones down, smiling at Spike

"Hey," Spike replied

"Just so you know, last night was amazing," Buffy said, "Best I've had in a while."

"Better than Angelus?" Spike asked, eagerly

"Does that really matter?" Buffy teased

"Yes," Spike said, bluntly

"Then yes, you were so much better than him," Buffy said, truthfully

"Brill," Spike grinned

He walked around Buffy, taking a look in her magazine.

"You want to meet up later?" Spike asked, "Maybe grab a drink?"

"I like the Espresso Pump," Buffy suggested

Spike had been thinking more along the lines of a bar or club, but hey, there was a first time for everything.

"Alright. Meet there...after sundown?" he suggested

/

Spike walked back up the stairs, feeling rather pleased with himself. Then as he walked to the front door, he heard a rattling in a cupboard. Spike forced it open, revealing a teenage girl. Someone had tied her up and gagged her, and there were puncture wounds in her neck. It was obvious Buffy had been keeping her there as a food source.

"It's okay," Spike assured her

He took out his knife and cut the girl free. She sprinted out of the house, not even stopping to take down the cloth that was tied around her mouth.

It was at that point that Spike realized that his relationship with Buffy wouldn't be the smooth sailing he hoped it would be, it would be a long, bumpy ride.

/

And he was looking forward to it.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	37. Phases: Part 1

/

/

/

Oz was in his living room, staring at his phone. He was attempting to pluck up the courage to call Willow. He knew it was wrong, but it felt so right. Oz took a deep breath, and dialed the number.

"Hello?" Willow answered

"Willow, it's Oz," he said

"Oh!" Willow was overcome with surprise, "Uh…how are you?"

The two of them hadn't seen each other much.

"I'm alright. Uh…are you doing anything tonight?"

"Uh, no, I was just, um, just on my computer."

"Good. So…if you're not doing anything, do you want to…come round to my house? We could do…nothing…together?"

"Sure!" Willow cringed at her obvious eagerness, "I mean, that sounds okay."

/

Spike and Buffy walked into Willy's Bar and Grill, heading to the backroom. The poker table was set up. Clem, Rkkyor (a Fyarl demon), and Kulak (a Miquot demon) were sitting there.

"Alright lads?" Spike asked

"Hey Spike," Clem said

"Who's the chick?" Rkkyor asked

"This is Buffy," Spike said

"What happened to that goth girl?" Kulak asked

Clem kicked Kulak under the table, trying to warn him.

"What was her name, Drusilla?" Kulak remembered

"You tried," Rkkyor muttered to Clem

In anger, Spike grabbed Kulak by the shoulder, turned him around, and punched him in the face, almost hard enough to break his neck. Kulak tried to take a swing at Spike, but he was too disorientated; he almost fell off his chair.

"Anyone else want to talk about Drusilla?" Spike asked, "Anyone?"

"No!" Clem and Rkkyor insisted

"Good," Spike sat down, "As I was saying, this is Buffy. She's a vampire."

"Have you killed anyone interesting?" Rkkyor asked

"Oh, four slayers," Buffy replied, casually, "But not this one."

She hugged Spike, to Spike's annoyance.

"Not yet," Buffy teased

/

Kulak dealt the cards. Spike took a look at his hand (as in 'hand of cards').

"I'm in," Spike tossed a chip into the center of the table

Rkkyor reluctantly tossed in a chip. Kulak put in a chip. Clem, after thinking for a minute, tossed in a chip.

"Oh, Spike, do you have the two-hundred dollars you owe me?" Clem remembered

"Yeah, it's in my car," Spike said, "I'll get it after the game."

"You said that last time…" Clem muttered

/

Oz's house…

/

Willow let herself in, seeing Oz pacing the living room floor.

"Hey," Oz looked up, seeing her

"Hi," Willow replied

Oz wasn't sure what to do next; he was afraid that Willow wasn't interested, and that he would be forcing her into something she didn't want to do. At the same time, Willow was hoping that Oz would let his intentions be known.

"Do you want to sit down?" Oz offered

"Sure," Willow sat down on Oz's sofa

"You want a drink?" Oz asked, "I've got some sodas in the fridge. Or something stronger?"

"I'm good," Willow said

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"So…" Willow spoke, "Do you want to make out with me?"

"If you're willing to," Oz said

Oz sat next to Willow, and began to kiss her. Willow was grateful that he was letting her go at her own pace, but wished Oz could take charge.

"Willow, can I…?" Oz began

"Do what you feel," Willow urged, "Don't be afraid."

Oz continued kissing her, only this time he attempted to move to second base.

"Oz!" Willow squeaked

She backed away from him.

"I'm sorry," Oz said

"I-I didn't think you meant that kind of stuff," Willow tried to defend her nervousness

"It's fine," Oz assured

Then his phone rang.

"I…I should get that, it that might be Spike," Oz explained

"It's okay," Willow muttered

Oz picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he answered

It was Oz's Aunt Maureen. She had some alarming news for him.

/

Willy's Bar and Grill…

/

"There," Spike slammed his cards down on the table, "Two aces."

He began to scoop the chips towards him.

"Not so fast," Rkkyor stopped Spike, "Three aces."

Spike slumped back into his chair, depressed that he had lost the game

"Wait a minute, that's five aces!" Buffy pointed out

Everyone looked around, confused.

"Okay, who brought that deck?" Spike demanded

"I thought you did?" Buffy asked

Angry looks turned to Spike.

"Oops..." Buffy muttered

/

Rkkyor and Kulak dragged Spike out of the backroom and into the parking lot, shoved him against a dumpster and began beating him up. Clem and Buffy followed everyone out.

"Spike, do you need a hand?" Buffy asked

"I got this!" Spike groaned, as Rkkyor kicked him

Buffy looked to Clem for advice.

"He's gonna be fine," Clem said

"What are you basing that on?" Buffy asked

Clem couldn't think of a good answer. Rkkyor and Kulak continued kicking Spike. They might have killed him if it wasn't for…

DA DA DA DUN! DA DA DA DUN!

Someone's pager was going off. The supernaturals looked around, trying to figure out whose it was.

"It's Spike's!" Buffy pointed out

Rkkyor and Kulak looked down at Spike.

"Do you mind if I check that?" the slayer growled

"Go ahead," Kulak allowed, "You have the rest of your life."

Spike reached to the pager, and flipped it open. Oz was trying to reach him, using the code for an emergency.

"I have to be somewhere," Spike informed

Kulak threateningly extended his bone-knives by half an inch. He obviously wasn't going to let Spike off easy.

"If anything happens to me, there's a backup slayer in LA who'll avenge my death," Spike threatened, "Can any of you match that?"

/

Oz's house…

/

Spike knocked on the front door, then barged in anyway.

"Oz, it's me," Spike announced himself

The slayer walked into the living room, finding Oz pacing the room nervously.

"What's going on?" Spike asked

"It's my cousin Jordy," Oz replied, "We lost him."

Spike had met Oz's cousin. He was only about five years old.

"Did you call the cops? Get an Amber Alert out?" Spike asked

"It's not like that," Oz said, getting more nervous, "He's a…werewolf."

"There's a werewolf loose in Sunnydale?" Spike asked, panicked, "Are you sure? Maybe it's just a big dog?"

Oz had never seen Spike so panicked, and he wouldn't see him like that again until two years later, when Spike thought that The Initiative had cloned Hitler (but that's a story for another time).

"Can you catch him?" Oz asked, "Is that a slayer thing?"

Spike took a deep breath, and suppressed his panic.

"Yeah, werewolves fall under my jurisdiction."

"Should we get Giles?" Oz asked

"No time."

/

The two boys got into the Desoto and drove to the woods, where according to Oz Jordy had last been seen.

"So, how long has he been a werewolf?" Spike asked

"About a year," Oz explained, "Usually, this time of the month my aunt and uncle just lock him in the basement, but they timed it wrong and he got out."

"Right," Spike sighed, "God, why didn't you tell me this before?"

"It's not something I brag about," Oz replied, "Even my aunt and uncle don't like me knowing."

"Sorry. I just don't want Sunnydale to be overrun with werewolves. Then again, they might get rid of the vampire problem."

"Then there'd be a werewolf problem," Oz pointed out

"But I'd only have to work three nights a month."

/

They arrived at the woods.

"Most likely Jordy'll have gone deep into the woods, found himself some deer to munch on," Spike assumed, "Best tactic is to go in after him, scout the denser forest areas."

The boys got out of the car.

"Where did you learn that?" Oz asked

"Picked most of it up in LA," Spike explained, "I got a lot of hands-on learning with Wesley."

"I forget, was he your old Watcher?" Oz asked

"No, he was my old Watcher's intern," Spike corrected, "Well, that was the official title. A more accurate one would have been '_guy who's there in case The Slayer goes psycho and tries another kamikaze attack on a vampire nest_'."

"Another?" Oz asked

"I'll tell you that one later," Spike said

/

Spike opened the trunk of the Desoto, then removed a panel revealing a stash of weapons (he and Oz had recently made a few more raids on the army base).

"Spike, I don't want to kill him," Oz said

"Relax, only silver bullets can do that," Spike replied

He took out two tranquilizer rifles, one for himself and one for Oz.

"Only fire this if you HAVE to," Spike informed, "Don't try and be a hero."

Spike slid a dart into his rifle.

"So what's the plan?" Oz asked, "After we tranquilize him?"

"I dunno. Drop him off in the zoo?"

Spike placed the panel back over the weapons.

/

They walked into the woods, Spike walking in front.

"I've never been out here at night," Oz said

"You feeling alright?" Spike asked

"Just a little nervous."

"Been there. Try doing something to calm yourself."

Oz thought for a moment, then…

"_I can't get no…satisfaction_," he sang, to himself, "_I can't get no…satisfaction, cause I try and I try and I try and I try, I can't get no, I can't get no_…"

"_…when I'm drivin' in my car_," Spike started singing with him, "_And that man comes on the radio, he's tellin' me more and more, about some useless information, supposed to fire my imagination_…"

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. Spike and Oz lifted up their guns.

"Show yourself," Spike ordered

The bushes parted, revealing a man. He was in his mid-forties, wearing a tan leather jacket, combats, and a necklace made of teeth. He carried a tranquilizer rifle. Spike kept the gun on him.

"Who the hell are you?" Spike demanded

"Who the hell are you?" the man retorted

"Spike, the vampire slayer," Spike replied

"A fellow hunter, huh?" the man asked, "Well, I'm called Cain. If you're here about the werewolf, I've got dibs."

"You hunt werewolves?" Oz asked

"They pay good money for their pelts in Sri Lanka," Cain explained

Oz angrily raised his gun. Spike stopped him.

"Look, mate," Spike addressed Cain, "I think the wolf you're hunting is my friend's cousin. We want to find him."

"Your cousin?" Cain asked

"Yeah, he's only six," Oz explained

"Oh, don't worry, I would never kill a wolf that young," Cain assured

Spike was relieved.

"Their pelts are too frail," Cain explained

/

Spike and Oz began walking through the woods. Spike insisted on being in front.

"Werewolf!" Spike called, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"Jordy!" Oz called

A loud growl emanated nearby. Spike recognized it as a werewolf cry.

"He's through there," Spike informed, pointing to a thick patch of trees

"Then let's go," Oz urged

"No, I'll go," Spike advised, "You cover me. Keep your gun trained on the opening."

Oz did as he was told. He trusted Spike.

/

Spike followed the sound of the growl, gently passing through the trees.

"Jordy…" Spike called, "Jordy…"

Suddenly, the werewolf walked out in front of Spike. He was only as big as a dog (albeit a very large one), but his sharp fangs and werewolf strength still made him very deadly.

"Okay, be cool," Spike urged

He lifted up the tranquilizer gun, preparing to fire. He paused to aim; he didn't want to hit Jordy in the eye. Suddenly, Cain appeared. He had been following Spike.

"Kid, you'd better let me take the hit," Cain advised

"I got this," Spike insisted

He fired the gun; a dart shot into the werewolf's chest. To Spike's surprise, it didn't faze him, it just made him angry. The werewolf growled and lunged at Spike. Cain grabbed Spike by the shoulder, pulling him out of the way. The werewolf abandoned Spike and Cain, heading in another direction.

"I don't get it, that was well enough to take down a wolf," Spike complained

"Yeah, _a_ wolf," Cain snorted, "Werewolves have a faster metabolism. You'd need three times as much to take it down. Hey, where's that friend of yours?"

Spike then realized where the wolf was heading.

"Oz," he croaked

/

Cain and Spike ran through the forest, hoping to head-off the wolf.

"Oz, it's coming your way!" Spike yelled

Spike dropped his rifle, sprinting towards Oz.

"Oz, are you alright?" Spike yelled

Spike ran to the point where he had told Oz to wait. He found his friend standing proudly, holding his gun.

"Where…?" Spike began

Oz lifted up his arm, pointing his rifle at the unconscious werewolf, who had three darts in him.

"Got him…" Oz announced

Spike let out a sigh of relief.

"Mate, you had me worried for a minute," he laughed, catching his breath

"Yeah," Oz said, "By the way, can werewolves get rabies?"

"Why do you ask?"

Oz lifted up his T-shirt, exposing the left side of his waist. There was a large bite-mark on it, and a little blood. Spike was paralyzed with shock.

"He bit me," Oz explained, "Do you think I should go to the hospital?"

/

/

/

To be continued…


	38. Phases: Part 2

/

/

/

"Well?" Oz asked, "Is this a hospital thing, or should I just put a Band-Aid on it?"

Spike still couldn't move.

"Isn't there a thing with werewolf bites?" Oz asked, "I think I saw it in a movie."

"You're infected," Spike said

"So…hospital?" Oz asked

"N-no, you're…he infected you with the wolf curse," Spike explained, "You're a werewolf, Oz."

"Oh."

Oz thought for a moment.

"Am I going to transform now?" he asked

"Not until the next full moon," Spike said, "That's tomorrow."

There was a silence.

"Oz, I am so sorry," Spike muttered, unable to look him in the eye

"It's alright," Oz said, with a casual but earnest attitude, "It's not like I'm a vampire or anything."

/

Unbeknownst to Spike and Oz, Cain had been spying on their conversation. He realized that tomorrow and the next day he'd have the opportunity to hunt a newly-made werewolf.

/

The next day…

/

Giles was gathering up his papers, preparing to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" he asked

"We can handle it," Oz replied

"Alright," Giles closed his briefcase, "I've left you everything you'll need, but call me if anything goes wrong."

The Watcher threw on his jacket.

"Spike, there's some beef stew on the hot plate in my office," Giles offered, "It should be ready in fifteen minutes, should you get hungry."

/

Giles left.

"So what time is it?" Spike asked

"Six-thirty," Oz replied

Spike wasn't sure what to say. The boys had a good deal of time before sundown at seven o'clock.

"Nervous?" Spike asked

"A little," Oz admitted, "Have you ever seen someone transform?"

"Once. Some vampires trapped me in the basement with a werewolf," Spike explained, "The guy transformed in front of me."

"How did you escape?" Oz asked

"Oh, uh…" Spike cleared his throat, and turned slightly away from Oz, "The vampires let me out, deciding I'd learnt my lesson, and I staked them all. The werewolf bought me breakfast the next morning, cleared the air."

Oz didn't believe Spike for a second.

"You killed him, didn't you?" Oz asked

"Yeah," Spike admitted, "I had to. One of my friends was with me. He wouldn't have lasted."

"What if it comes down to that with us?" Oz asked, "Would you do the same?"

"It won't come to that," Spike insisted

"If it does, you can kill me," Oz said, very seriously

/

It got closer to sunset.

"I should get in the cage," Oz decided

"Yeah," Spike agreed

Oz walked to the book cage.

"I'm gonna get undressed now," Oz warned

He took off his shirt, shoes, and jeans. Spike was relieved he kept his boxers on. Oz closed the cage door, making sure it was locked. Spike wasn't sure what to say next. Oz was in front of him, about to transform into a wolf-monster.

"You…want a drink?" Spike attempted

"What have you got?" Oz asked

"Whiskey?" Spike offered

"Great."

Spike took a small bottle out of his coat, and handed it to Oz. Oz took a drink, then spat it out.

"That's not whiskey," he said

"Seriously?" Spike took the bottle back, and had a taste, "Ah. Well, the bottle looked like whiskey."

"What is it?" Oz asked

"Cherry brandy."

"Yuck."

"I'll see what Giles has."

/

Spike went into Giles' office, and rummaged through his desk drawers, trying to find something alcoholic. In doing so, he knocked over Giles' hot plate, spilling hot stew on his jeans.

"Sod!" he yelled

He pulled his jeans down, and began to rub his legs to sooth the pain.

/

Oz stood in his book cage, drumming his fingers against the door. He was overcome with a strange feeling; he wasn't sure if it was his transformation beginning, or just him being anxious. Regardless, he began humming 'All Along the Watchtower'; it reminded him of a calmer time.

"Oz?" Willow called

Oz leaned against the cage, seeing that Willow had come into the library.

"We need to talk…" Willow saw him, "…um, what are you doing in there?"

Then Willow noticed something else.

"What happened to your clothes?" she asked

"Willow, you should really leave," Oz urged

"Why?" Willow asked, with a judgmental stare, "What are you doing?"

Then Spike staggered out of Giles' office. He still had his trousers down to his ankles, and was still rubbing his thighs.

"Fuck me...!" Spike groaned in pain, just loud enough that Willow could hear it

Willow had seen something like this before (she was eight years old and had found one of her parents' _**special**_ videotapes). She assumed it was a similar situation.

"I get it," Willow nodded, jumping to the wrong conclusion, "You know what? Whatever you guys do behind closed doors is fine by me. I'll leave you to it."

"No, wait!" Oz groaned, "This isn't what it looks like…!"

She was already gone.

/

"Well, that was awkward…" Oz muttered

"Just explain it to her, and she'll understand," Spike pulled his trousers back up, "I mean, it's not the worst thing she could have seen."

"I can't imagine what could be worse..." Oz said

"She could have seen you making out with me in The Master's lair," Spike teased

The two of them laughed nervously; the tension in the room was slightly lifted.

"You were dead," Oz jokingly defended himself

"Is that what did it for you?" Spike taunted, "Don't let Willow know!"

They both laughed again, but a little more awkwardly.

"So…is there something going on with you two?" Spike asked, switching to a less humorous topic, "I know you've always liked her, but lately you two seem…"

"We've played around a bit," Oz replied, "Nothing serious."

"So are Willow and Xander over?" Spike asked

"Willow's confused about that," Oz explained, "But I don't want to force her to choose between me and Xander."

"Is Xander okay with this?"

"Not exactly."

Spike was surprised at that; it was a bit out of character for Oz.

"How are you and Buffy?" Oz asked, wanting to change the subject

"Complicated," Spike admitted, "She's promised me that she's not going to kill anyone while we're going out, but she's still drinking human blood."

"Will she keep her word?" Oz asked, "She _**is**_ a vampire."

"Yeah, but Buffy's different," Spike reminded, "More…sensitive. Yesterday she told me she wanted to meet my mum."

"Could she just be trying to get an invite to your house?"

"Actually, she suggested going to a restaurant..."

"Hrrruu!" Oz groaned

It was starting to happen. Oz lurched forward, like he was going to throw up.

"Don't try and fight it," Spike warned, "Just let it happen."

Oz let out a yelp, and collapsed onto the ground. His hands convulsed; his fingernails became claws.

Next, Oz's eyes turned pitch-black, he grew more facial hair, fangs sprung from his teeth. The next stage of the transformation occurred: Oz completely shifted from human to wolf. Spike looked over the creature. It was large, wild, and dangerous, the opposite of Oz.

"Bloody hell…."

/

Willow walked through the school hallway, heading back to the library. She realized that she was being silly, and realized Spike and Oz weren't involved in anything weird. Well, anything **that** weird. Well, Oz probably wasn't. And Willow wanted to talk to Oz. She just wanted to talk to him, talk about their relationship.

"Oz, we need to talk…" she began

Then Willow saw the werewolf inside the cage. She screamed, and ran out of the room. Spike followed her.

/

Willow was lying against the wall, trying to catch her breath. She was in shock. Spike carefully approached her.

"Willow, it's okay," Spike assured, "He…it's not going to get out anytime soon."

Willow managed to calm herself down enough to talk.

"I-is that a werewolf?" she guessed

"Yeah," Spike nodded

"I, um…" Willow tried to recollect herself, "I wanted to talk to Oz. Is he still here?"

"Willow…that IS Oz," Spike said

Willow opened the library door slightly, seeing the feral creature claw at his cage.

"It can't be," Willow was in a state of disbelief

/

The next morning…

/

Giles walked into the library, with a little spring in his step. Ms. Calendar had slept over at his house last night, though not much sleeping had happened. The Watcher switched on his kettle, and started up his computer; he was looking forward to the day. Giles then saw Spike, who was wide awake, sitting on a chair staring at Oz (now back in human form).

"Have you been here all night?" Giles asked

"Yeah," Spike muttered monotonously

"I thought Xander was going to relieve you at midnight?"

"I told him not to..."

Giles looked over to Oz. He had ravaged the book-cage quite a bit, but it was mostly cosmetic damage.

"He's been like that since sunrise," Spike muttered

"Well, you should wake him up," Giles suggested, "Lycanthropy is no excuse for sluggishness."

/

Spike dropped a towel over Oz's mid-section, then woke him up.

"How was I?" Oz asked

"You were fine..."

Oz walked to a table where he had put his clothes from last night. He put them on, then picked up the spare set of clothes that Giles had told him to bring.

"I think I'll just shower in the gym," Oz said, "If I go home now, mom'll get all inquisitive."

He walked out of the library. Spike wasn't sure what to make of Oz's attitude. Either he was unaffected and gone back to his normal routine, or he was repressing his true feelings, and could crack at any minute. Only time would tell.

/

The next night…

/

Oz stood in the book cage, as Spike locked the door.

"…I gotta patrol, so Xander's gonna keep watch," Spike explained, "If anything happens, he'll page me, and I'll come as fast as I can."

"Got it," Oz nodded

"You sure you don't want me to stick around for the transformation?" Spike asked

"I'll be fine," Oz assured

Spike walked over to Xander.

"Transformation's a bit weird, so you might want to look away," Spike explained, "But DON'T leave the room."

"Okay," Xander muttered

"Need me to show you how to use a gun?" Spike asked

Xander shoved a dart into the gun, snapped it shut, cocked it, and held it in the proper position.

"I got it," Xander said, confidently

Spike picked his coat up, and threw it on.

"Oh, and here's something for the snack machine," Spike remembered

He took a hammer out of his coat (the small emergency kind, like the ones they have on trains and buses), and handed it to Xander.

"One good tap should do it."

/

Spike walked out of school and to his car. Cain was watching him, from his car just off the school campus. He had been staking out the school since yesterday, waiting for a time when the wolf had transformed and Spike was gone. Once Spike had driven away, Cain got out of his car, carrying his rifle, and entered the school.

/

Cain followed the sound of the werewolf to the library. He walked inside, seeing the werewolf locked in the cage. Cain smiled maliciously, and lifted up his rifle.

"That's far enough," Xander warned

Cain turned around, seeing Xander, who had been hiding next to the doors. He was carrying a crossbow.

"I could heard your boots squeaking from a mile away," Xander taunted, "You don't usually hunt in schools, do you?"

Cain didn't say anything.

"Drop the gun," Xander ordered, holding the crossbow threateningly

Cain complied.

"Who are you?" Xander demanded, "Are you after Spike?"

"No, I'm just here for the wolf," Cain replied

"Well, you're not getting him, not on my watch," Xander warned

Cain tilted his head slightly, pretending to look at something by the doors.

"Spike, what are you doing here?" Cain asked

Xander turned to look where Cain was looking, and Cain punched him in the face, knocking him out.

/

Cain stashed Xander into a closet, and prepared to release the wolf. Cain could have just shot him there, but it was…unsporting. The hunter prepared his rifle, then unlocked the cage. The werewolf burst out, growling at Cain.

"Come on, come and get me," Cain urged

The wolf was about to attack Cain, when he picked up on a more interesting scent. He darted out of the library, heading for the exit.

/

Cain ran after the wolf, firing off a couple of shots in the air to scare it. He tracked it down the hallways, to the fire exit. Someone had parked a moving van in front of the doorway, and had propped the doors open. The wolf was standing in the back of the van; he had been lured in by the scent of a raw steak, which he was now eating.

"What the hell?" Cain muttered

Suddenly, the blunt end of a fire-axe collided with Cain's head, knocking him unconscious.

"Bad dog," Drusilla hissed

/

/

/

To be continued…


	39. Phases: Part 3

/

/

/

The graveyard: Spike had just killed a vampire, and was taking a break. Buffy had met him there.

"So how did Oz do last night?" Buffy asked

"He was alright," Spike said, "Mind you, it was still a werewolf transformation."

"Maybe the pain will help with his music," Buffy joked, "He can write a song about it."

"What will he call it?" Spike snorted, "'The Ballad of the Blonde Jerk Who Screwed Up My Life'?"

"Oh come on, it's not the worst time you've screwed up someone's life," Buffy reminded

Spike shot Buffy an angry look.

"That…sounded much better in my head," Buffy admitted

Spike took out a cigarette, and began to smoke.

"Why do you do that?" Buffy asked

"It's a good way to pass the time between interesting events without outwardly stating the awkward breaks," Spike explained

"Uh huh…so, did you think about what I said the other night?"

"You mean meeting my mum?" Spike asked

"Yeah."

"I'm not so sure if that's a good idea. The last time we had a dinner guest, it didn't end so well."

"You mean with Drusilla?"

"No, Mum's boyfriend Ted. He came round for dinner, I ended up blowing his head off with a shotgun. Then I found out he was a robot."

Buffy ignored that confusing story.

"But you **_did_** let Drusilla meet your mom?" she asked

"Yeah, and it was bloody awkward," Spike replied, "I brought Dru home for dinner, and Mum kept bringing up the fact that Drusilla was dead and older than me. Well she didn't mean to, it just accidentally came up."

"Necrophilia and statutory rape come up in dinner conversation?" Buffy asked, trying to imagine how

Before Spike could answer, his pager went off.

"How can you afford that?" Buffy asked

"Took it from a vamp I killed," Spike replied

Spike opened the pager, and saw the message, from Xander. It said 'CODE RED'.

"No…" Spike groaned

"What is it?" Buffy asked

/

The library…

/

Xander had Cain tied to a chair, with the man's gun pointed at him.

"And then what happened?" Xander demanded

"I just saw him go into that red moving van, then something attacked me from behind," Cain continued

"And you don't remember anything else?" Xander asked

"There was this strange smell in the air," Cain said, "Like…musky, old fashioned perfume."

Xander knew that meant Drusilla.

"Alright, you really messed with the wrong guy," Xander said, "When Spike finds out what you did, he'll kick your…"

Then the phone rang. Xander picked it up.

"Hello, Spike," he said, confidently

"Xander, how the hell did you screw this up?" Spike growled

"I-I didn't," Xander was thrown off by Spike's abruptness, "That Cain guy you mentioned showed up and knocked me out. But I've got him tied to a chair."

"Has he said anything?"

"Yeah. According to Cain, something lured Oz into a red moving van, then knocked him out."

"Knocked Oz out?"

"No, Cain got knocked out. But he said…"

"Xander, hold on," Spike sighed, condescendingly

Spike covered the receiver, and talked to Buffy.

"According to Buffy, Drusilla stole a red moving van yesterday," Spike said, "So, I guess she's behind this."

"Do you want me to go find…?" Xander began

Spike hung up the phone. Xander stood for a minute, not saying anything.

"I don't think your friend appreciates you," Cain said

"No, I'm just useless…" Xander muttered

"Well don't sell yourself too short," Cain said, "Your detection skills are pretty good, and…"

He tugged at the ropes.

"Not many guys can tie me down. Or know how to hold a crossbow the right way. You'd be great in a werewolf hunt."

Xander felt a little better about himself.

"Thanks," Xander said

Then Xander realized what Cain was doing.

"I'm not untying you," Xander snapped

"I know…" Cain muttered

/

Spike and Buffy walked to the Desoto.

"Spike, what are you going to do?" Buffy asked

"I'm going to kill Angelus before he can kill Oz," Spike announced

"Angelus isn't going to kill a werewolf," Buffy reminded, "He doesn't want to attract the attention of pack."

"The pack?"

"Yeah, the Sunnydale pack," Buffy explained, "They're the largest one in California."

"I didn't know there were packs" Spike admitted

"They don't exactly advertise," Buffy explained, "They just show up and burn your house down if you mess with a werewolf."

/

The Warehouse…

/

"YOU ABDUCTED A WEREWOLF?" Angelus yelled

Drusilla cowered beneath Angelus.

"I-I thought you'd be proud of me," Drusilla explained, "I was going to kill the slayer's friend, make him suffer!"

"Do you know what happens if you so much as breath on a werewolf?" Angelus growled

He grabbed Drusilla, and thrust her in the direction of the werewolf cage. It was a small enclose in the warehouse that Drusilla had led Oz into. He stood there in his wolf form, clawing at the cage walls.

"Imagine twenty of those showing up and ripping us apart! Do you want that?" Angelus demanded

"Well, no…"

"Neither do I!"

The warehouse doors opened.

"Hey, guys, there's a van parked outside," Buffy said, walking in (she had gotten bored of the wheelchair façade), "Do you know anything about it?"

"Drusilla abducted a werewolf!" Angelus yelled

"What?" Buffy pretended to be worried, "Oh no!"

/

Sunrise...

/

Oz returned to human form. He woke up, not realizing his surroundings, and stood up. Groggily, he walked to a corner of the cage and picked up a torn up blanket, covering himself.

"Coffee?" someone asked

"Thanks," Oz muttered

He walked to the cage door, and took a cup from the hand that held it. Oz had a sip of the coffee, and woke up slightly. He realized that he was in the warehouse, and it was Angelus who had just given him coffee.

"Oz, right?" Angelus asked

"Yeah…"

"Look, we need you to forget that you were here," Angelus explained, "Can you do that?"

"Uh, sure…"

Oz was too tired to argue, he would have agreed to almost anything at that point.

"There's clothes up in that room," Angelus pointed, "Help yourself, then GET OUT!"

/

Spike stood by the warehouse window, looking in on Oz. He had his can of napalm, ready to be ignited and hurled through the window. But once he saw Oz leaving fully-dressed, Spike put the can away.

/

Later, school…

/

Oz was in the band room, playing a guitar. All the seniors were supposed to be in an afterschool SAT-prep class, but Oz had skipped it. Instead, he broke into the music room (just a simple lock-pick), and found himself a nice guitar.

"…_Suddenly, I'm not half to man I used to be…_" Oz sang, "_…There's a shadow hanging over me…Oh, yesterday came suddenly.…_"

Willow had heard the music playing; she slowly walked into the room, not wanting to disturb Oz.

"…_Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say…I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday…_"

Oz finished the song, and looked up.

"Hey," Willow said

"Hi," Oz replied

He moved aside on the table. Willow sat down next to him.

"Do you come here often?" she asked

"Sometimes," Oz admitted, "Just when I want to find a bit of peace."

Willow looked around the table. She picked up a flute, examining it, wondering if she could use it for anything other than a musical instrument.

"So…you're a werewolf now?" she asked

"Yeah," Oz nodded, "Not much change, except a few days out of the month I won't be so fun to be around."

"I can relate," Willow joked

Oz began to strum at his guitar again, lightly. He adjusted a string that was a little off.

"So, I was thinking, about you and me," Willow explained, "Um, I'm not really sure where we're going with this."

"I'm not going to force you to choose," Oz said

"You say that every time!" Willow sighed, "God, Oz, can't you just tell me what…?"

"Let me finish," Oz interrupted, "I'm not going to force you to choose, because I don't want you to choose, I'm satisfied with what we have now. I just like being with you. I don't care if it's secret and unconventional, I like it, and I'd really like it to stay that way. That way, you, me, and Xander can be happy."  
>To Willow, that sounded marvelous.<p>

/

Somewhere on the Sunnydale city limits…

/

Cain sat at the bar, drinking his mug of beer. He didn't usually drink before sundown, but considering he had lived through an encounter with a slayer and a vampire, he deserved a reward.

"Another one?" the bartender asked

"Yeah," Cain slid his glass to her, "And this time, not the watered-down stuff, okay?"

The bartender rolled her eyes, and ignored the insult.

"Excuse me, are you Cain?" someone asked

"Yeah, who wants to know?" Cain muttered

He turned around, and saw five burly men walking into the bar. Then Cain noticed that everyone else had left the bar, and two of the men were closing the blinds.

"We're from the Sunnydale pack," the leader informed, "And we heard that you like to hunt werewolves."

The five men held up their hands, and sharp claws shot out of them. Cain took off, running out the backdoor. The leader looked to his watch, counting the seconds, giving Cain a one-minute headstart.

"Time's up, let's go," he announced

The pack took off after Cain, eager to hunt him down...

/

/

/

To be continued…


	40. Passion: Part 1

/

/

/

Spike and Oz were walking home from the Bronze. They parted ways, with Spike heading back to his house. He didn't know that Drusilla was following him. The moment Spike was inside his house, Drusilla climbed the wall of 1630 Revello Drive, and stood on the section of the roof that protruded in front of Spike's bedroom window. She watched Spike getting undressed, then getting into bed. Once he had fallen asleep, Drusilla pried open the window, and spied on Spike while he slept.

"Sleep tight, sweet William," Drusilla spoke softly

She carfully stepped through the window.

"Don't worry, slayer," Drusilla continued, "You'll soon be at rest."

Drusilla almost put her foot on the ground and set off a trap, when she felt a sharp warning go off in her head. She managed to step over the trap, and proceed towards Spike. She reached her hands towards his neck, and was about to kill Spike, when from under the covers he pulled out a knife and slashed at Drusilla's chest.

"GET...OUT..." Spike growled

Reluctantly, Drusilla stepped back out the window.

"You can't keep me away forever, William," Drusilla warned, "I'll come back tomorrow. And the next day. And the..."

Spike hurled the knife at Drusilla, narrowly missing her. At that point she left out the window.

/

The library, the next day…

/

"…and mum had the nerve to yell at me for getting blood on the carpet," Spike said

"Oh, that's unfair," Oz said

"Yeah, it's not like it was your blood," Xander agreed

"I think we're ignoring the more pressing matter of Drusilla's invitation to your house," Giles said

"Nah, I got it covered," Spike replied, "Got my traps."

"But she does have invitations to our houses," Willow indicated herself and Oz, "She could come in at any time."

"I'll come by your house tonight and install a 'burglar alarm'," Spike said

"I was thinking more along the lines of magic," Giles said, "There might be a spell to revoke her invitations."

/

Ms. Calendar's Classroom…

/

"Don't forget, I need your sample spreadsheets by the end of the week," Ms. Calendar said

The bell rang. Students began to leave.

"Oh, and I want both a paper printout and a copy on disk," Ms. Calendar added, "Thank you."

She looked down at her desk for a second, then back up and reached her arm out to get Willow's attention.

"Willow," Ms. Calendar said

"Yes?"

"I might be a little late tomorrow. Do you think you could cover my class till I show?"

"Really?" Willow's eyes looked up, "Me? Teach the class? Sure!"

"Cool."

"Oh, wait," a scary thought entered Willow's mind, "W-what if they don't recognize my authority? What if they try to convince me that you always let them leave class early? What if there's a fire drill? What if there's a fire?"

"Willow, you're gonna be fine. And I'll try not to be too late, okay?"

"Okay. Good. Earlier is good."

Then Willow had an interesting thought

"Will I have the power to assign detention?" she smiled, "Or make them run laps?"

"Just threaten to sic Spike on them," Ms. Calendar joked

Then she remembered something.

"Speaking of which," Ms. Calendar reached into her desk, "I'm kind of in a hurry, could you pass this onto Giles?"

She handed Willow a book.

"Sure," Willow nodded, "What is it?"

"If I'm right, it's a spell to revoke a vampire invitation."

/

Later…

/

Spike and Joyce were having dinner. Joyce was usually glad to have Spike home for dinner (most of the time he was out slaying or with his friends), but he was being so quiet.

"Is something bothering you?" Joyce asked

She knew that was a redundant statement, something was always bothering Spike.

"Yeah, it's Drusilla," Spike explained

"I thought you two were over?"

"Yeah, we are, but she still has an invite to the house," Spike explained, "I mean, that's happened before…"

"Like with Darla?" Joyce asked

"Yeah, but all I had to do was kill Darla."

"Can't you…?" Joyce attempted

"I've tried," Spike replied, "It's not that easy."

"Spike, you can't be mad at yourself for failing to kill someone," Joyce reminded

"_Yes_ I can. Every second I don't kill her puts everyone else at risk."

Spike finished the last of his dinner.

"Great dinner, but I gotta go," Spike said, "Told Willow I'd help her with something."

/

Willow was in her room, on the phone to Xander. At the same time, she was walking around, looking for Terry.

"…so she wants me to teach the class," Willow explained

"Could you write me a pass to get out of gym?" Xander asked

"Xander, I'm not going to abuse my power!" Willow gasped

"Didn't think so. Did Ms. Calendar say anything about the invitation-spell?"

"Yeah, she gave me something to give to Giles."

"Do you want to sleepover at my place? Drusilla can't get in."

"I'll be fine. Spike's going to set some traps and stuff…"

Then Willow dropped the phone in shock. She had found Terry, in her closet. He was hanging from a necktie, slowly swinging from side to side. There was a note pinned to him that read '_Bad, bad, girl_…'

/

An hour later, Willow was still inconsolable. Xander and Oz were in her room, trying to comfort her. Spike was with Giles and Ms. Calendar in the kitchen. Giles was making tea.

"That poor girl," Giles sighed, "Finding her dog like that."

"At least it was just her dog," Spike reminded

"What could be worse than...?" Ms. Calendar began

Ms. Calendar started to ask Spike what could be worse than finding a dead puppy in your closet, but Giles frantically waved his hands, signalling for her to stop. She caught on.

"I'm going to go now," Spike decided

"Aren't you going to stick around for Willow?" Ms. Calendar asked

"She'll be alright, got Oz and Xander," Spike said, "I've got a job to do."

/

Spike walked out of the house and to his Desoto. He opened up the trunk, taking out a few stakes.

"Are you going to kill Drusilla?" Ms. Calendar asked

"Yeah," Spike nodded, not looking up

Spike got into the driver's seat.

"Wait!" Ms. Calendar blurted out

"What?" Spike sighed

"Spike, you can't kill Drusilla," Ms. Calendar explained

"Why the hell not?"

"I…I can't tell you," she said, "There's something I'm working on, I don't want to promise you anything, but it could really change things."

"Why should I rely on _your_ promise?" Spike asked

"I know you don't have any reason to," Ms. Calendar continued, "But this is serious. I know what I did was wrong, I shouldn't have lied to you. I know that a lot of this is my fault. But I can make it up to you, just give me a little more time."

Spike tried to think, what could Ms. Calendar do that would solve everything? Then he realized there was only one thing it could be.

"How long do you need?" Spike asked

"I should have it done in a couple of days," Ms. Calendar said, "Maybe by tomorrow. Can you wait that long?"

Spike sighed, and switched off the engine.

"Alright."

/

Willow was sitting in bed next to Xander; she was sleeping over at his house, for protection. Xander's parents were too drunk to notice he brought a girl to his room.

"How are you feeling?" Xander asked, for the millionth time

"I'll get over it," Willow said, unconvincingly, "It's…it's not like I had time to get attached to him."

She thought for a moment.

"Maybe I should have listened to mom when she said I shouldn't get a puppy," Willow commented

Xander held Willow tighter.

/

The Summers' House…

/

Spike walked in through the kitchen door. He had been on full alert in case Angelus or Drusilla decided to ambush him during his walk from the car to the front door. It took Spike a while to calm down from his full alerts.

"Spike?"

Spike spun around, swinging his foot through the air and almost kicking Joyce in the face. He managed to pull out of the last minute, but still broke some drywall. Joyce looked at Spike with shock.

"Sorry," Spike muttered, "Sorry…"

/

Joyce sat down on the sofa, absorbing what she had just seen. She hated how much Spike had changed since becoming a slayer. Joyce thought back to what he had been like before that. She thought of William, the boy who didn't like to cause a fuss, the boy who liked to spend his free time reading and writing poetry, the boy who was embarrassed whenever his parents called him 'Spike' in front of his friends. What had happened to him?

/

The next day, school…

/

Spike and Cordelia were copying each other's homework in the student lounge.

"Killed her puppy?" Cordelia asked, "Really?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "You wouldn't believe what else she's done."

"Stalked you for a while?" Cordelia guessed, "Waited by your house, tried to accidentally run into you, your friends?"

Spike was surprised Cordelia was so accurate.

"How…?" Spike began

"I've had a few psycho-exes," Cordelia explained, "It's a downside of being beautiful and popular."

Giles then walked up to the two of them.

"Alright Giles?"

"I've, um, figured out the ritual to revoke a vampire invitation," Giles explained

"Seriously?" Spike asked, eagerly

"Um, the-the-the, uh, the ritual's fairly basic, actually. It's just the recitation of a few rhyming couplets, burning of, uh, moss herbs, sprinkling of holy water."

"Should I do it on my car?" Cordelia asked, "I gave Drusilla a ride once."

"Oh, the vampire invitation doesn't apply to vehicles," Giles informed

"God, is nothing sacred?" Cordelia sighed

/

Later, Willow's house…

/

Spike hammered a crucifix to the wall, then hid it behind the curtains.

"That should do it," Spike said

"Good. But I don't know what my parents will say," Willow replied

"What'd you mean?"

"Well, Ira Rosenberg wouldn't be too thrilled at his daughter hanging crucifixes on her wall," Willow attempted, "I mean, I still have to sneak over to Xander's house to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas each year. But it's worth it to see him do the Snoopy dance."

Spike stared at Willow for a moment. He had no idea what that last part meant.

"It's an American thing," Cordelia explained

"Right…"

Spike took out his wallet, and took out a condom wrapper. He placed it at the base of the curtain.

"Your dad'll see the crucifix, but then see that," Spike explained

"I think that's just going to make him madder," Willow assumed

"Yeah, so mad he'll forget about the crucifix," Cordelia caught on, "You might get yelled at a bit, but at least your house'll stay protected."

"Okay," Willow knew it was a necessary sacrifice

/

Joyce got out of her jeep, carrying the groceries to the house.

"Hello, Mrs. Summers," Drusilla said

"Oh…hello…" Joyce started moving to the door

"Is Spike home? He said I wanted to see me."

"Spike did _not_ say that."

"But I must see him. I miss the passionate nights we spent together."

Joyce walked faster to the door.

"I miss him making wild love to me," Drusilla added

Joyce made her way inside the house. Drusilla tried to follow her in but was stopped.

"What the hell?" she asked herself

Spike slid out in front of Drusilla.

"Decided it was about time I changed the locks," Spike announced

Drusilla held her hands menacingly, and hissed at Spike. He responded by slamming the door in her face.

/

School…

/

Ms. Calendar sat at her computer, typing furiously. She was very close to creating a program that could translate the Ritual of Restoration to restore Drusilla's soul. She was hoping to get it done soon, before Drusilla pushed Spike to his breaking point.

"Jenny?" Giles asked

Ms. Calendar looked up, not realizing Giles had walked in.

"Giles," Ms. Calendar quickly switched off the monitor

"I was just about to head out," Giles said, "Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'm good," Ms. Calendar assured

Giles leaned in to kiss her; she was uneasy.

"What is it?" Giles asked

"Nothing…" Ms. Calendar said, "It's just, what we're doing…I can't help but think of Spike."

"Oh?"

"Not like that. I just feel, since your Spike's Watcher, he might feel betrayed, about us being together."

"I wondered that myself," Giles said, "Two weeks ago, I asked Spike if he minded you and I having a relationship."

"What did he say?" Ms. Calendar asked

"His exact words were '_honestly, Rupert, I __**don't**__ care_'," Giles said, imitating Spike's accent

Ms. Calendar laughed at Giles' impression.

"Really, Jenny, Spike might have been angry at you, but he really doesn't care what we get up to," Giles simplified, "I could be in an abusive relationship with a thirteen-year-old girl and he wouldn't lift a finger."

"That's nice," Ms. Calendar said, with a light trace of sarcasm, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright."

/

Giles left. Ms. Calendar continued working. After another hour of working, she finally completed the program. Quickly, the teacher saved it to a disk, and placed the disk into a special box, one that was allegedly psychic-proof. Then she began printing the ritual. Ms. Calendar was looking forward to seeing Spike's face when he found out about it. Everything would be back to normal, everyone could be happy.

"No they can't," Drusilla interrupted

Ms. Calendar realized that Drusilla was standing right in front of her.

"How did you get in here?" Ms. Calendar demanded

Then she remembered that vampires didn't need invitations to enter schools.

"I sensed you were attempting to split apart my happy home," Drusilla said

She saw the Orb of Thesulah on Jenny's desk, and picked it up.

"A soul-trap, Jenny?" Drusilla asked, shaking her head, "Really?"

Drusilla hurled the Orb at the blackboard, smashing it. She then knocked over Ms. Calendar's computer with a powerful sweep of her hands, and crushed the hard drive with her foot, breaking the circuits inside. Ms. Calendar cringed, but tried to assure herself with the fact that the floppy disk was intact.

"If you hurt me, Spike and Giles will go after you," Ms. Calendar warned

"I'm counting on it," Drusilla grinned

Drusilla advanced towards Ms. Calendar, grabbing her by the neck. She began focusing her powers on Ms. Calendar, trying to penetrate her mind, but the anti-psychic training that the woman had was too strong.

"Well, it appears you're of no more use to me," Drusilla sighed

She then gripped Ms. Calendar's neck tighter, cutting off her oxygen. Drusilla looked on eagerly as Ms. Calendar struggled to breathe; before the woman passed out, Drusilla gripped even tighter, and broke her neck.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	41. Passion: Part 2

**A/N: ****I'm thinking of changing the ****summary of this fic. Any suggestions?**

/

/

/

Giles returned to his apartment, hanging up his tweed jacket on the coat rack. He then noticed the operatic music that was playing, and saw on his credenza there was a rose, next to a note that said 'Come and find me…'

Giles picked up the note, smiling. He noticed the trail of rose petals on the ground, leading upstairs to his bedroom. He eagerly followed them, and the source of the music. He walked into the bedroom, finding Jenny lying on his bed, dead.

/

The police were called, and arrived soon. By that point, Giles was almost catatonic with shock.

"Mr. Giles?" a policeman asked, "We need you to come with us. We have a few questions we need to ask you."

"Of course," Giles said, "I just need to make a phone call."

/

Spike, Oz, and Willow were in the library.

"What if we get caught?" Willow asked

"It's ten o'clock at night," Spike said, "No one's going to come in here."

"Okay."

The three of them got up, and began walking to the back door. Spike was about to hand Oz his lighter, when the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Oz offered

He picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Oz answered, "Yeah. Yeah, they're here. Oh. Oh my god."

/

Oz hung up the phone.

"Who was it?" Spike asked gently, knowing it wasn't good news

"That was Giles. Ms. Calendar, she's…she's dead. Drusilla killed her."

Willow let out a gasp. Spike could tell she was upset, and did what he had seen Oz and Xander do in such a situation.

"Come on, Willow, let it all out," Spike said

He extended his arms out to her, waiting for her to come in for a comfort-hug. To Spike's surprise, Willow picked up a very large dictionary off a table, and threw it into Spike's stomach. The slayer fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

"Why didn't you just kill Drusilla?" Willow yelled, "Now everyone's dying, and it's all your fault!"

"Willow, lay off him…" Oz began

"No, she's right," Spike wheezed

Oz helped Spike up.

"This _**is**_ all my fault," Spike said, "I gotta sort it out."

Spike went to the weapons cabinet, taking out two stakes and a crowbar.

"What are you doing?" Oz asked

"Giles just lost someone he loved to a vampire," Spike said, "I've got to look out for him, he's about to do something stupid."

"How do you know?" Oz asked

"Because it's exactly what I did."

/

The warehouse…

/

"Nice touch, putting her in the bed," Angelus complimented, "I've taught you well."

"Thank you," Drusilla replied, "So, do we sit and wait for the slayer to show up?"

Suddenly, a Molotov cocktail came crashing through the window, setting the table on fire. Several of the vampires fled.

"It begins!" Angelus grinned

Giles burst into the warehouse. He fired a crossbow bolt at Drusilla, firing a crossbow at her shoulder, pinning her to the wall.

"Let's go!" Angelus grabbed Buffy by her wrist, and darted out the back door

Giles walked up to Drusilla, carrying a baseball bat, which he lit on a loose flame. He smashed it into Drusilla's side, flooring her. Before Drusilla could get up, Giles bashed the bat into her spine, then kicked her over onto her back. He tried to hit her in the face, but Drusilla grabbed the bat and tossed it away. She got back up, grabbing Giles in a choke hold. Giles attempted to grab a stake from his belt-pouch, but Drusilla anticipated it and ripped the pouch off. She continued choking Giles, in a similar matter she had done to kill Ms. Calendar. And it would have worked, if Spike hadn't shown up and stabbed Drusilla in the shoulder blade with a railroad spike. She screamed, letting go of Giles. Spike turned his attention to Drusilla, hitting and kicking her. He knew that Drusilla could read his mind and predict his moves, so he fought wild and impulsively. He had almost gotten Drusilla, when she pointed to Giles, who was collapsed against the table, gasping for breath.

"Are you going to let him die?" Drusilla asked

Spike took a look at Giles, and let out an annoyed growl.

"Next time I see you, you're dead!" Spike warned

Drusilla giggled at him. It was the worst thing she could have done.

/

Spike dragged Giles out of the warehouse. The moment they were out, Giles kicked Spike away. Spike responded kicking Giles back, and grabbing him in a half-nelson. Giles kept struggling, trying to break free.

"What the hell are you doing, trying to get yourself killed?" Spike growled

"This isn't your fight, you shouldn't have come here!" Giles argued

Giles elbowed Spike, which almost broke the slayer's ribs.

"Right, I forgot, suicide missions are your job," Spike snapped

"I had my reasons for doing this!"

"Yeah, you're angry, I get that!" Spike growled, "But your job is to be the stable one. I...I can't do this without you!"

Giles couldn't argue with that. Reluctantly, he stopped struggling, and Spike let him go.

/

Later…

/

Buffy and Spike met in the cemetery, at the agreed point.

"Hi," Buffy said, glad to see Spike

"Hey," Spike replied, with contempt in his voice

"Is your librarian friend okay?" Buffy asked

"Yeah, he made it out alright."

"Before you get all mad at me, I didn't know Drusilla was going to kill that teacher. Even Angelus didn't know. I would have tried to warn you…"

"It's fine," Spike muttered

"Um…oh! Angelus keeps talking about this master plan of his," Buffy remembered, "I'll try and find out what it is and get back to you. Does that sound good?"

"I suppose."

/

The next day…

/

Willow walked into the classroom, finding Ms. Calendar's students waiting for her.

"Hi. Principal Snyder asked me to fill in for Ms. Calendar until the new computer science teacher arrives. So I'm just gonna stick to the lesson plan she left."

Willow put her books down. As she did, she noticed the desk ornament that Ms. Calendar had. It looked like a brick, but when Willow examined it, it appeared to be hollow and made of plastic, save for a small item rattling inside. Willow assumed it was some kind of novelty piggy-bank, and thought nothing more of it.

/

The cemetery…

/

Spike and Giles were at Ms. Calendar's grave. Spike didn't really want to be there, but Joyce had said that it was best that Giles didn't go alone.

"In my years as a Watcher, I've buried too many people," Giles said, "But Jenny…she was the first I've loved."

Spike put his hand on Giles' shoulder.

"I've been holding myself back from doing my job, but that's over," Spike assured, "The next time I see Drusilla, I'll kill her."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	42. Becoming Pt 1: Part 1

/

/

/

_London, 1860…_

_/_

_Drusilla slowly walked into the church, kneeling down and making the signs of the cross. She normally loved the environment of the church, everything was so pure, incorruptible, and forgiving, but today it was different. If she had been in better control of her powers, Drusilla would have realized what she felt was a warning, telling her to leave quickly._

_The girl stood up, and walked to the confession booth, closing the door._

"_Forgive me father, for I have sinned," Drusilla confessed_

_/_

_In the adjacent confession booth, Angelus looked up from the priest he had just killed. He decided he'd have a little fun with the girl._

"_I am listening, my child," Angelus lied_

_Drusilla took a deep breath, and went ahead with her confession._

"_It's been two days since my last confession," she admitted_

"_That's not very long," Angelus noted_

_Drusilla let out a little sob._

"_Oh, Father, I'm so afraid," she said_

"_The Lord is very forgiving," Angelus said, trying not to laugh, "Tell me your sins."_

_Drusilla went on to tell Angelus about the visions she had been having, about the mine accident she had predicted, and how her mother had told her having such powers was an insult and an affront to the Lord. Angelus wasn't very interested at first, but then he heard Drusilla whimpering about how she didn't want to be an evil thing; the temptation to corrupt her was too great._

"_Oh, hush, child," Angelus said, "The Lord has a plan for all creatures. Even a Devil child like you."_

_Drusilla gasped_

"_A D-devil?" she croaked_

"_Yes! You're a spawn of Satan. All the Hail Marys in the world aren't going to help. The Lord will use you and smite you down. He's like that."_

"_What can I do?"_

_Angelus told Drusilla to give into her evil urges, that there was nothing she could do to change it. Then, in an act of extra-cruelty, he gave her a tiny bit of false hope, telling her that ten 'Our Fathers' and an Act of Contrition would solve her problems._

"_I will do that, Father," Drusilla said, wiping a tear from her eye, "Thank you."_

"_The pleasure was mine," Angelus grinned "And my child...know that God is watching you."_

/

Present day…

/

Spike walked into the cemetery, approaching a group of vampires.

"Oh look, it's the slayer," a vampire taunted

"Tell Drusilla I'm ready to meet with her," Spike said, "I'm ready to take the fight to her."

"Do it yourself," the vampire sneered

Spike walked up to that vampire, twisted his arm behind his back, and staked him through his hand and heart.

"Anyone else want to mouth off to me?" Spike growled

"Ready to meet with her, take the fight to her," another vampire committed to memory, "Got it."

"Good," Spike said

He then savagely killed the vampires, aside from the one that had remembered the message.

/

The next day, the lunchroom…

/

Spike, Oz, Xander and Willow sat at their lunch table. Xander was doing one of his comedy bits, using fishsticks to reenact a fight Spike had been in the previous week. Oz and Willow were enjoying it, Spike was annoyed by it.

"Angelus seriously, don't come any closer!" Xander mimed Spike's voice

"Hah, that won't stop me!" Xander imitated Angelus

Xander moved the Angelus-fishstick towards the Spike-fishstick, then poured his tartar source all over Angelus.

"Bluuurrrgh!" Xander imitated Spike throwing up on Angelus

Willow and Oz laughed. Spike rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Spike, that was funny!" Xander insisted

"May I remind you I was almost _dying_ from the flu at the time?" Spike said, icily

Principal Snyder walked up to the group.

"Is there a shortage of chairs?" Snyder asked, referring to the fact that Willow was sitting on Xander's lap

"Um, I haven't heard anything…" Willow began, "Oh, right."

She got off of Xander.

"This is not an orgy, this is a classroom," Snyder reminded

"It's a lunchroom, you berk," Spike retorted

Snyder glared at Spike.

"I _will_ find a reason to kick you out, Summers," he warned

/

Snyder left.

"What does that word mean?" Willow asked

"Berk?" Spike asked

"Yeah."

Spike explained the concept of Cockney rhyming slang to her, and how berk was short for 'Berkeley Hunt'.

"Oh!" Willow laughed guiltily, upon realizing it

/

Later…

/

Willow and Oz were in the Computer Science room. Willow had told Xander that they were having a private tutoring session. Oz locked the door, and Willow closed the blinds.

"On the desk?" Oz suggested

"Okay."

Oz shoved all the items off of the desk, except for Willow's computer. He had meant it as an impulsive romantic gesture, but Willow had a different reaction.

"Oz!" she exclaimed

Willow got down on her knees and began to pick up the items that Oz had knocked over.

"Sorry," he attempted to help her clear the stuff up

"Some of this stuff was Ms. Calendar's," Willow chastised him, "And…"

She then saw that the hollow-plastic brick was broken.

"Oh, look what you did!" Willow sighed

"What is that?" Oz asked

"I don't know, I think it's a piggy bank or something," Willow admitted, "I didn't want to look inside…"

Then Willow looked in the brick, and saw what was inside. She plucked the floppy disk from in it.

"That's weird," Oz said

"Yeah."

/

The two of them took a look at the contents of the floppy disk. Several pages of translated Romanian documents came up.

"Ritual of Restoration," Willow read, "Oh my god!"

/

The library…

/

Giles was looking at the ritual translation.

"Bloody hell…" he muttered

"Will it work?" Willow asked

"I…I don't know," Giles admitted, "The black arts are very complicated. This goes beyond my skill level."

"Maybe I could try it?" Willow suggested, "I've been reading Ms. Calendar's files, studying the black arts. You know, for educational purposes."

"Well, it's not so easy," Giles said, "Channeling the magic could open a door not so easily closed. I wouldn't want you to get in any trouble."

At that point, Spike entered the library.

"Got your page," Spike said, "What's going down?"

"We've found a translation of the spell that gave Drusilla her soul," Willow said, excitedly

Spike was thrown off-guard. He hadn't expected that.

"Oh," he stammered

"Well aren't you happy?" Willow asked

"I guess," Spike said

He thought the situation over. Yes, he'd get Dru back, but what would he do about Buffy? And did he even want Dru back, would she be the same? Could he even stand to look at her?

"We're not entirely sure," Giles interrupted, "It requires a few things. An Orb of Thesulah, for example."

"Where can we get one of those?" Oz asked

"…actually, I've got one in my office," Giles remembered, "I've been using it as a paperweight."

Giles disappeared into his office.

"So where'd you find this translation?" Spike asked

"It was in this plastic brick Ms. Calendar had on her desk," Willow explained, "I don't get why she hid it in there."

"Isn't that an anti-psychic trick?" Xander asked

"What?" Spike asked

"Like in Village of the Damned," Xander remembered, "When you don't want someone reading your mind, you just think of something solid and unyielding, like a brick."

"Ms. Calendar must have hid it in there so Drusilla couldn't find it!" Willow realized

/

The Warehouse…

/

Angelus, Buffy, Drusilla, and several other vampires were standing around the stone statue in the middle of the room.

"I told you I'd get it, didn't I?" Angelus grinned, "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful!" Drusilla squealed

"Buffy, do you know what this is?" Angelus asked

"It's a big rock," Buffy said, sarcastically, "I can't wait to tell my friends. They don't have a rock this big."

"Don't you know what this is?" Angelus asked

"This is Acathla," Drusilla informed

She walked up to the statue, embracing it.

"He's going to take humanity to the hell they belong in," Drusilla grinned, "My entire life has been leading up to this…"

/

_Romania, 1920…_

_/_

_Drusilla was running through the woods, trying to get to the gypsy camp. She had to get there and kill them all before they cast their spell, otherwise she would be subjected to a fate worse than death._

_Then the vampire tripped over a large tree root, falling to the grass. Mud splattered onto her dress. She looked up, seeing a gypsy sorceress finishing her spell._

"_No…" Drusilla croaked_

_Drusilla saw a blinding white light, and felt a force of purity entering her. A gypsy woman approached her._

"_W-where am I?" Drusilla asked_

"_You're in pain, aren't you?" the woman asked_

"_Yes…"_

"_It's about to get worse. Everything you've done for the past sixty years is about to come back to you. Every kill, every turning, every torture."_

"_What are you talking about?" Drusilla asked_

_Then slowly, her memories began to come back to her._

"_Uuuuuh.!" Drusilla screeched, "No, no, no!"_

_She fell down on her knees, shuddering. The gypsy woman smiled cruelly._

/

Present day…

/

Spike was out on patrol, cutting through the playground to the cemetery. He was walking slowly, in no rush. Then he stopped. The slayer had a strange feeling, like a premonition, of something that he had felt with only one other person.

"What are you doing here?" Spike asked

From behind the bushes, Kendra appeared.

"I had to come," Kendra said, "My dreams were getting more intense. Something bad is coming, Spike."

"You couldn't have just phoned me?" Spike asked

"This is serious, Spike. Not a thing you can handle by yourself."

Spike sighed. He knew there was no other option.

"Let's go see Giles."

/

The library…

/

"This whole time, you knew she was in Los Angeles?" Giles asked, angrily

"Yeah," Spike replied

"I've been under fire from the council for months!" Giles yelled, "Who do you think was the one who got blamed when Kendra failed to make her flight? I had to stand before Quentin Travers himself and swear to him that you were a responsible boy, that you wouldn't ever let Kendra fall into harm!"

"I was making sure _she wouldn't fall into harm_!" Spike growled

/

Whilst Giles yelled at Spike, Kendra sat with Willow and Oz.

"So, how's LA?" Oz asked

"It's alright," Kendra said, "Spike's friend helped me get a job, and lets me stay in his guest room."

"Are you coming back here?" Willow asked, "To stay, I mean?"

"No," Kendra replied, "Did you want me to?"

"Well, we could use some diversity in our group," Willow explained

/

Spike and Giles had finished their argument.

"Right, Kendra, you had dreams of something rising?" Giles asked

"Yes," Kendra nodded, "The dream spoke of a demon named Acathla.

"Acathla is going to rise?" Giles asked, shocked

"What's an Acathla?" Oz asked

"The demon Acathla was brought forth to suck all of humanity into hell," Giles said, uneasily, "A virtuous knight managed to stab him through the heart and turn him to stone, which can happen with demons. But Angelus almost certainly knows the ritual to remove the sword and awaken the demon."

"So how do I kill it?" Spike asked

Kendra opened her bag, and took out a large sword. Everyone was clearly impressed by it.

"I stole this from a museum after having a vision of it," Kendra explained, "It was blessed by the same knight who originally slayed Acathla. If necessary, Spike can re-kill him."

/

The Mansion…

/

Angelus advanced towards the statue of Acathla. He had covered his hands in the blood of the innocent, as instructed.

"Finally," he said, in awe of the statue's power, "Clear proof that I am the one worthy enough to end all disgusting human life on earth."

He placed his hands on the sword, ready to pull it out.

"Get your last orders in, twelve minutes to the end of the world," Angelus grinned

He yanked the handle of the sword, but it stayed in place; then there was a flash of lightning, and Angelus was thrown back, onto the floor.

"_Someone wasn't worthy_…" Buffy sang

Angelus got up, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

"Why the hell wouldn't that work?" Angelus exclaimed

He regretted that he had killed Dalton; now there was no one else in Sunnydale with that much knowledge of the supernatural. Then again, there might be another…

/

/

/

To be continued...


	43. Becoming Pt 1: Part 2

/

/

/

_London, August 1995…_

_/_

_Drusilla walked along the tracks of the London Underground, in her tattered clothes. She had been to the surface to raid the medicine cabinet of the nearby doctor's office; the voices had been bothering her again._

_/_

_Out of the corner of her eye, Drusilla spied a rat. She leapt down on the tracks, grabbed it, and bit into it._

"_Okay, that's just plain disgusting," someone said, in an Irish accent_

_Drusilla looked up at the source of the voice. It was a twenty-something man, in a modest leather jacket and cargo pants._

"_Get away from me!" Drusilla warned_

"_I heard rumors about a monster that lived down in the London Underground," the man continued, "At first I thought it was just a discussion of last week's Doctor Who marathon, but then they mentioned the monster's yellow eyes and fangs, I knew it had to be a vampire."_

"_Who are you? And what do you want?" Drusilla demanded_

"_My name's Doyle," the man said, "I've come to help."_

_Drusilla tilted her head slightly._

"_Are you a demon?" she asked_

"_What? No!" Doyle insisted_

_Then a loose wire sparked behind Doyle; he was caught off-guard, and his spike-covered dark-skinned demon face appeared. He sighed, focused, and returned to being human._

"_Okay, half-demon," Doyle admitted, "I'm an agent of the powers-that-be."_

"_What do they want with me?" Drusilla asked, "I've been good! I haven't fed from a human in years!"_

"_And you can keep doing that," Doyle said, "You can keep hanging around in the sewers feeding off of rats. But I'm here to offer you the chance to make something of yourself."_

_/_

_Blackwood Secondary School…_

_/_

_Doyle drove his blacked-out car near to the front of the school, where William Summers (who would later be known as Spike) sat on the stone steps, reading a book of poems. Drusilla rolled down her window and watched him, fascinated._

"_Will," William's friend Ford approached him, "We're going round to Tony's later, gonna watch the football and drink beer. Are you in?"_

_Spike looked up, adjusting his glasses._

"_Well, I'm always up for football," William replied_

"_Smashing," Ford said_

_/_

_William closed his book, threw on his blazer, and began to walk home, when a man in a black suit stepped in his way. He was Merrick, Spike's first Watcher._

"_Spike Summers?" Merrick asked_

"_**William**__ Summers," William insisted_

"_I need to speak with you," Merrick replied_

_William was nervous._

"_Y-you're not from Waterstone's, are you?" William stammered, "Because I meant to pay for that bookmark."_

"_There isn't much time," Merrick explained, "You must come with me. Your destiny awaits."_

_William was skeptical, but then Merrick recounted a dream that William had been having, down to the last detail, about demons and vampires, and spoke of the newfound strength and health William had been experiencing. William decided to go with him._

_/_

_Later…  
>_

_William was in a cemetery, fighting a vampire. Merrick had shown him some basic fight moves, which William had picked up very quickly. He was doing well, struggling a bit but finding it quite exhilarating. As soon he killed the vampire, William asked Merrick if he could do it again. Doyle and Drusilla watched this from afar._

"_Blimey, he's not too bad," Doyle noted_

_Drusilla saw more in William than Doyle could._

"_Soon he'll be in over his head," Drusilla said, "He'll get too involved with the wrong vampire."_

"_If that's true, he'll need all the support he can get," Doyle added_

_/_

_Doyle and Drusilla went back to the sewers, to the alcove where Drusilla lived. It was bare except for a dirty mattress, an old dirty suitcase, and some cheap drugs._

"_I can feel that boy's importance, what he'll do," Drusilla said, "I want to help him."_

_Drusilla turned to Doyle._

"_I think I'm ready to leave the sewers," Drusilla said_

"_Great," Doyle said, "I can help you re-enter society."_

"_I would very much like that," Drusilla said_

"_First, you need to get rid of those clothes," Doyle said, "You got anything decent to wear?"_

_Drusilla's eyes darted to her suitcase, which contained two Victorian-era dresses and Ms. Edith. They were the only remnants of her past that she had held onto, that she could stand to hold on to. Maybe it was time to use them for good..._

/

Present day…

/

Spike was sitting in a classroom, taking one of his final exams. It was English, something that came naturally to Spike. He had a loads of famous quotes stored in his head, which were good for using in essays. Spike was enjoying it slightly, until a vampire walked into the room. Spike's senses picked up on her immediately.

"Tonight, sundown, at the graveyard, you will come to Drusilla," the vampiress said

She took off her shawl, and began to burn in the sunlight.

"You will come to Drusilla or…!"

By that time, Spike was out of his seat, and stabbed her in the heart with his stake. Vampires DID NOT belong in classrooms.

/

Later…

/

Spike was in the teacher's lounge, suiting up. Kendra was there too. She reclined on the sofa, telling him about what she had been up to in LA. In the library, Willow was going to try the Ritual of Restoration.

"...I was afraid he was going to try and take advantage of me," Kendra continued, "But I asked around, and...that wasn't the case."

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about Lorne," Spike said, "It's good to know you like LA."

"I do, very much," Kendra agreed, "My work, my apartment, and…"

Spike threw on his leather coat.

"I gotta go now, but I want to hear more when I get back," Spike said, "Keep an eye on Willow, okay? If she goes too far with that spell, don't worry about me, just stop her."

"I will do that," Kendra agreed

She reached into her jacket, and took out a stake. It was twisted, yet sturdy.

"I want you to take my favorite weapon," Kendra said, "It has brought me much luck. I call it Mr. Pointy."

Spike took the stake from Kendra.

"You named your stake?" Spike asked, "You should really get yourself a stuffed animal."

/

Drusilla was in the graveyard, waiting for Spike. He advanced towards her angrily, with only one clear thought on his mind.

"Hello, Spike," Drusilla grinned

She read his mind, and knew what he was thinking.

"That's a clever trick," Drusilla said, "Thinking of a brick to avoid psychic powers. But it reveals that you're trying to hide something."

"I'm not hiding anything," Spike said

He produced a brick from his coat pocket, and threw it at Drusilla's face, breaking her nose and covering her face in blood, even breaking a few of her teeth. The pain caught Drusilla off-guard; before she could focus, Spike kicked her in the stomach, and thrust her against the wall, hitting her hard and fast. He was going to stake her, but first he had to vent some frustrations. Drusilla hadn't expected this, she thought that she and Spike would just circle each other and banter, make a few accidental innuendos, but Spike really was trying to kill her! By the time Spike had vented his frustrations, Drusilla was badly beaten. She had only one chance of getting out of this.

"I-I wonder how your f-friends are coping?" Drusilla stammered

Then Spike realized, the meeting was just a distraction, an excuse to lure Spike away from the gang.

"Oh bugger!" Spike groaned

He ran back to the Desoto.

/

Spike drove furiously back to Sunnydale high. He might just get there in time, he hadn't been gone very long.

/

The slayer skidded the car to a halt in front of the school, and ran out to the school doors. He kicked them down, and ran through the school hallway. He was close to the library, when suddenly, Snyder stepped out in front of him. Spike tried to dodge the man, but in his haste, slammed into the trophy cabinet. The cabinet fell over, trapping Spike's arm underneath it. The slayer struggled to get it free.

"Summers, you aren't supposed to be here after school hours," Snyder growled

"Snyder, please, you've got to help me!" Spike yelled, desperately trying to life the cabinet up

"Why should I? You've been nothing but trouble since you came here," Snyder sneered, "I'm going to go call the police, tell them that I found you here with intentions of vandalism!"

Snyder left to go to his office. After much pulling, Spike freed his arm and resumed running to the library. He got there, finding Oz and Willow unconscious, the latter trapped under a bookcase, and Kendra lying dead on the floor.

/

Spike walked over to Kendra's body, looking down at her. She had so much potential, and her life had barely started, but all that had gone to waste at the whim of a faceless council. Spike knew that he would have to go to LA, and tell Kendra's friends that she had been killed, all because he had failed to recognize a simple trap. The thought of breaking the news to them killed Spike a little inside.

/

Spike knelt down next to Kendra. He took out Mr. Pointy, and placed it back in Kendra's jacket. He hoped that where Kendra was going, she wouldn't need it.

"I'm so sorry," Spike sighed

'**_CLICK_**'

Spike looked up, seeing a gun being pointed at him.

"Freeze!"

/

/

/

To be continued…


	44. Becoming Pt 2: Part 1

/

/

/

"Freeze!"

Spike looked at the policeman and policewoman that were pointing guns at him. Snyder was there too.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Spike insisted, "I didn't do it!"

"Stay right where you are," the policeman warned

Spike knew he was screwed; Snyder wasn't going to back him up. Then Spike thought back to when Joyce had been in the hospital after Darla had attacked her. The nurse believed Spike when he said a vampire had bitten Joyce; could the police have a similar procedure?

"It wasn't me, a vampire did it!" Spike said, desperately, "Could have been this guy called Angelus."

The policeman was unsure what to do. Spike realized instantly that his plan had failed. Snyder tried not to laugh.

"Right…" the policeman tried to remain calm, hoping Spike would follow suit, "Kid, why don't we…take you somewhere that's…safe from the…vampires?"

The policewoman approached Spike.

"I'll go with you, but can you just make sure they're okay?" Spike asked, desperately, "Please!"

The policeman looked to his partner for approval.

"Go ahead," she said

The policeman checked Oz's heartbeat, then Willow's.

"They're still alive," the man said, "I'll call in an ambulance."

Spike then grabbed the policewoman's gun, and threw it out the window. Before the policeman could fire on him, Spike made his exit.

/

Later, the hospital…

/

"Yes, Mrs. Rosenberg," Oz said, "I'll call you if I hear anything else."

Oz hung up the phone. He started to walk back to Willow's room. He passed a teenager in a black hoodie and jeans.

"Oz," he coughed

Oz looked under the teen's hood, and realized it was Spike.

"Oh thank God you're okay," Oz breathed a sigh of relief, "I heard the cops come in, I was afraid they'd arrested you."

"I managed to fight them off," Spike said, "But I can't keep…"

Oz saw two policemen approaching them; he wrapped his arms around Spike.

"It's okay, man, it's going to be okay," Oz said

Spike watched the policemen pass by.

"It's safe," Spike said

Oz let go of him.

"So, I see you're more-or-less intact," Spike saw Oz's cast, "But what about everyone else?"

/

Oz and Spike stood by Willow's hospital bed. She had a black eye and a cut on her forehead, and was unconscious.

"It's head trauma," Oz explained, "She could wake up any time, but the longer she's out, the more danger there is."

"You called her parents, right?" Spike asked

"Yeah. And Xander."

"Is Cordelia…?" Spike began

"I'm alright," Cordelia walked in, "Oz told me to run. I must have made it through three counties before I realized no one was chasing me."

"And Giles?" Spike asked

"You didn't see him?" Oz asked

"No."

"Maybe he's back at his place?" Cordelia suggested

"I should go check it out," Spike said

"Be careful," Cordelia warned

/

The Mansion…

/

Giles was tied to a chair in front of Angelus and Drusilla. The Watcher hoped it was just a bad dream; he would have been happier knowing it was a hallucination while he was in a coma following a horrific accident.

"I can't activate Acathla," Angelus said, "I tried the ritual, blood of the innocent on my hands and yank the sword out, but it didn't work. So, do you know how to do it?"

Giles avoided Angelus' eyes.

"Yep, figured you did," Angelus said, "Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to torture it out of you?"

"I won't tell you," Giles said, firmly

"Thought so," Angelus sighed, "Jeez, you people always make this so difficult! Do you think I _like_ torturing you for information? Oh...wait, I do."

Angelus left the room, with Drusilla following him. As soon as they were gone, Buffy turned her back to Giles, and rolled up her sleeve. She had written a message on there:

_I've got your back._

/

Giles' apartment…

/

Spike opened the door with his spare key, and walked inside.

"Giles, you here?" Spike asked

No one replied. Then Spike heard something fall over in the bedroom. He ran up there, prepared to fight. He found Doyle standing near the window.

"Who the hell are you?" Spike demanded

"Why does everyone always ask me that?" Doyle complained, "Always those five exact words, never 'who are you?' or 'I'm insert-name-here, who are you?'."

Spike tensed his fists.

"I'm Doyle," the man said quickly

"Drusilla's Doyle?" Spike asked

"Yeah."

"I don't suppose you've you come to help?" Spike asked

"Not in the way you want," Doyle said, "All I can do is talk to you, give you some cryptic prophecy."

"Can you give me the quick version?" Spike groaned, "I'm having a bad day."

"My hands are tied by the Power-That-Be," Doyle was equally annoyed, "I can't tell you anything until you bring me the sword."

"Fine," Spike muttered

/

The slayer walked along the street, trying to think of the best way to get to school. Then he heard a police siren, and began to run. The police car caught up to him, and a policeman got out.

"Freeze!" he yelled

Spike raised his hands.

"Don't do anything stupid," Spike warned

"You're not going to bluff your way out of this," the policeman warned

He cocked his gun.

"Wilkins gave me orders to shoot on…"

The policeman was interrupted by Buffy appearing and knocking him onto the hood of his car.

"Sorry I took so long," Buffy said

She looked to the unconscious policeman.

"Do you mind?" she asked, "He was going to kill you."

"Can you do it without killing him?" Spike asked

Buffy rolled her eyes at Spike's puritanism. She leaned down to the policeman, and bit on his neck, drinking some of his blood.

"Okay, that's enough," Spike pulled her up

"Whatever," Buffy brushed him off, "So, Angelus has your librarian friend. But, I can help you stop him."

"Why would you want to do that?" Spike asked, "I thought the end of humanity would be what you wanted."

"Not really," Buffy said, "I kind of like this world. You've got hair dye, a million kinds of nail polish…plus there's lotsa cute boys walking around, like slabs of beef with legs."

Buffy wiped the blood from her mouth, and retracted her fangs and ridges.

"Do you want my help or not?" she asked

/

The Summers House…

/

Spike and Buffy walked up to the house just in time to find Joyce coming home.

"Spike, where have you been?" Joyce asked, frantically, "The police were here…"

"I didn't do it," Spike insisted

"Oh, good," Joyce said

"Wait, you thought I killed someone?" Spike asked, accusingly

"Well, no, I just thought that maybe they'd seen you kill a vampire and got the wrong idea," Joyce explained

She noticed Buffy.

"Who's your friend?" Joyce asked

Buffy stepped forward.

"Elizabeth Anne Pratt," she introduced herself, "But you can call me Buffy."

/

Spike was in the kitchen, on the phone to Oz. Buffy sat with Joyce in the living room. Years later, Buffy would recount the story to Andrew Wells, who would be inspired to write a book which detailed a reality where Buffy was Joyce Summers' slayer-daughter, and Spike was an evil vampire. It became something of a favorite among the potentials.

"It's really nice to finally meet you, Ms. Summers," Buffy said, happily, "Spike's told me a lot about you."

"Um, it's nice to meet you too," Joyce said uneasily

"I was thinking you and I should have coffee sometime, or maybe go shoe shopping?" Buffy suggested

"I guess we could do that," the prospect of having someone young to shop with appealed to Joyce; Spike wouldn't even go to the supermarket with her

"Can you believe it's been almost a hundred and twenty years since a boy's asked me to meet his parents?" Buffy asked

"That long?" Joyce asked

"Yeah, I've recently gotten out of a long-term relationship," Buffy explained, "Guy was a jerk. He was nice at first, I mean, he was so intellectual, such a bad boy. Just the idea that he was interested in me made me feel…special. I know it sounds pathetic."

"Oh no, I've done that," Joyce sympathized, "I was with this guy in college, such a jerk, but he had really great hair."

"How long did that go on?" Buffy asked

"Um…well, not as long as yours. It was just under a month. Well…three weeks. Rounded up."

/

Spike walked back into the living room.

"Willow's come out of her coma," Spike said

"Oh thank god," Joyce was relieved

"I need to go to the library and get something," Spike continued, "I'll be back…"

"Spike, what the hell is going on?" Joyce interrupted, "You're wanted for murder, Giles is missing, and…is Buffy your girlfriend?"

Spike decided to go ahead and tell Joyce about Acathla, then about Kendra (the whole story about her, how Spike had tried to help her), then Angelus and Buffy.

"Oh my…" Joyce was overwhelmed with information, "Well, can't you call that Watchers council to help you? Or the police?"

"The police can't help," Spike replied, "And if I called the Watchers council, they'd just tell me to go sort it out."

"B-but," Joyce couldn't comprehend it, "You're telling me, you're the one they expect to stop the end of the world?"

"Yes," Spike sighed

"That's not fair! You're only seventeen, you can't be expected to…!"

"Now's not the time to argue," Spike interrupted, "Buffy and I are going to try and stop Angelus and Dru. Best thing you can do is to stay in the house."

"Shouldn't we leave town or something?" Joyce attempted to be helpful

"That wouldn't be far enough," Spike replied, "Unless you've got a spaceship tucked away somewhere, then there's no way we can outrun Acathla."

/

The hospital…

/

"Done?" Oz asked

Willow nodded. Oz moved the cup of water away from her mouth.

"How are you feeling?" Xander asked

"A lot better," Willow replied, "In fact, I'm ready to try that spell again."

Everyone exchanged nervous glances.

"Willow, you just came out of a coma," Xander reminded, "And that spell is really powerful magic."

"I don't care," Willow said, "I'm resolved to do it. See this? It's my resolve face. And you know you can't change it. Besides, we can really help Spike. What if we could restore Drusilla's soul before Angelus activates Acathla?"

"She has a point," Oz said

Willow turned to Xander and Cordelia.

"You two go get my supplies from the library," Willow ordered, "Cordelia knows what to get."

Xander nodded, and left with Cordelia following him.

"It's really good of you to do this for Spike," Oz said

"Oh, I'm not doing it for Spike, it's more for me," Willow admitted

"To practice magic?"

"No, to get revenge," Willow spoke calmly, which made it even scarier, "I want to make her pay for what she did to me."

"You can't just act on revenge," Oz said, "That's what Ms. Calendar's people did, and look how that turned out."

"This is different," Willow insisted

"No it's not," Oz said, "Too many people around here get absorbed by revenge. Spike's made it his entire life, Xander's becoming just like him, and then Giles goes off on a suicide mission. All that's bad enough, but now you? I might as well be going to school with the Count of Monte Cristo! Until we learn to let go of things, we're just going to get caught up in revenge, retaliation, and aggression!"

"Well that's easy for you to say!" Willow argued, "Your life is easy!"

"No it's not. You think I didn't want to kill cousin Jordy for turning me into a monster?" Oz asked, "You think I didn't want to rip Spike to shreds for dragging me on that werewolf hunt?"

Willow had never seen this side of Oz before. It frightened her more than Oz had been frightened of Willow's dark side.

"I let it go, and made sure it wouldn't happen again," Oz concluded, "That's why three nights a month I lock myself in the library cage."

Willow knew Oz was right.

"Ok. No more revenge," Willow agreed

"Good."

Brief pause.

"You're still doing the spell, right?" Oz asked

"Oh, yeah," Willow nodded, "But I won't enjoy it. Well, I'll enjoy helping Spike, but…"

/

Angelus walked around Giles, who was still not giving in.

"You've done this before," Angelus realized, "This goes beyond the anti-interrogation tricks they teach at the Watchers' council. In fact, I'd say that you've been on both ends of this.

Angelus pulled up a chair, and sat down in front of Giles.

"So, do I have to get the chainsaw?"

"The ritual…" Giles muttered

"Yes?" Angelus asked, eagerly

"The ritual must be performed…" Giles said, "It must be performed…"

"YES?"

"…while wearing a wedding dress," Giles completed, "Wanker."

"Right, that's it, get the chainsaw!" Angelus growled

"Hold it, if you put him into shock, he won't be of use to anyone," Buffy reminded, "There's an easier way to do this."

"How?" Angelus asked

Buffy stepped aside, revealing Drusilla.

"Dru, hypnotize him," Buffy ordered

"You dare speak to your sire in that tone?" Angelus growled

Angelus turned to Drusilla.

"Drusilla, could you please hypnotize him?" Angelus asked

"Certainly," Drusilla replied

/

Sunnydale High School…

/

Spike walked discreetly back to the library. He just wanted to get the sword and get out; the image of Kendra's lifeless body was still stuck in his mind. The slayer walked to the table where Kendra had left the sword, hidden in the gym bag. Spike pulled it out. He had never been one for swords, they were a bit too extravagant for his taste. There was nothing a sword could do that couldn't be done with a stake or a railroad spike. Still, if it had to be done…

"You know this is a crime scene, don't you?" Snyder asked, "But then again, you are a criminal, so it makes sense."

"You know I didn't kill her," Spike said, "The cops will figure it out."

Snyder snorted.

"Summers, you know how deeply stupid the Sunnydale police department are," Snyder reminded, "It doesn't matter anyway. Whatever they find, you've proved too much of a liability for this school."

Snyder stopped to take a breath.

"These are the moments you want to savor," he grinned, "You wish time would stop so that you could live them over and over again. You're expelled."

Snyder expected Spike to be broken, defeated. He had hoped Spike would start crying and beg not to be expelled. But instead…

"You realize you just gave up your only protection from me?" Spike asked

Snyder laughed at him.

"This time, there's no Jonathan or Larry or any of your other…"

Snyder used a very hateful term that pushed Spike too far.

"…friends to back you up," Snyder warned, "It'll be my word against yours."

"What good is your word if you can't say it?" Spike inquired

He punched Snyder in the face, breaking his jaw, then before he could back away, Spike punched him in the throat. The pain was incredible, like nothing Snyder had ever faced before.

"Grrrrrhhhaaaaaa!" Snyder moaned in pain, convulsing on the floor, unable to form words

/

/

/

To be continued…

**A/N: I have some ideas for Season 3 that I'd like to get feedback on. Is there anyone who I could share them with before I start writing Season 3?**


	45. Becoming Pt 2: Part 2

**A/N: I'm glad everyone liked what happened to Principal Snyder. Snyder always reminded me of the fascist-dictator-scumbag teachers I had in school, so I always get a bit of satisfaction from having Spike beat up or humiliate him.**

**Originally, I was going to have Spike cripple Snyder with a crowbar, but I didn't want to turn Snyder into a clichéd wheelchair-bound villain. **

/

/

/

The Mansion…

/

Drusilla kneeled before Giles, placing her hands on his head.

"It won't work," Giles warned, "It won't work, it won't…"

Then he looked up, and saw Jenny Calendar in Drusilla's place.

"Jenny," Giles gasped

"Hello, Rupert," Jenny said

"Jenny, you have to get out of here," Giles urged, "Drusilla's here."

"You don't have to worry about her," Jenny said, "But I need to know, why can't Angelus reawaken Acathla?"

"It's so good to see you," Giles said, "It's…"

"Rupert, this is important," Jenny interrupted, "Why can't Angelus awaken Acathla?"

"It requires his blood," Giles explained, "Only Angelus' blood can do it…"

Jenny smiled, and kissed Giles.

/

Angelus and Buffy watched as Drusilla continued to kiss Giles.

"My blood, of course," Angelus realized, "I'm the key. It makes perfect sense. OK, kill him."

"But what if he's lying?" Buffy said

"Good point. Glad I got you watching my back," Angelus said, patting her on the head

/

Spike returned to Giles' apartment, finding Doyle making himself a sub sandwich.

"See, raiding an Englishman's fridge is a lot like dating a nun," Doyle explained, "You know you're not going to get the good stuff. Now, where's a knife…?"

Spike took out the sword, slicing the sandwich clean in half.

"Oh, cheers," Doyle said

He began wolfing down the sandwich.

"Did you have any trouble getting the sword?" Doyle asked, with his mouth full

"I ran into my Principal."

"And?"

"He's mad. I doubt he'll ever talk to me again."

Spike smiled at his little joke.

"So, what's the deal with the sword? How do I use it?"

"Angelus' blood is the key," Doyle explained, "His blood will open the door to Hell. Acathla opens his big mouth, creates a vortex. And only Angelus' blood will close it. One blow will send 'em both back to Hell. But I strongly suggest that you get there before that happens."

/

Outside the Mansion…

/

Xander and Spike met up.

"Cavalry's here," Xander said, referring to himself

He held up his knife and stake, raided from Spike's stash.

"You sure have a lot of weapons. Are you planning to take down God?" Xander joked

"I just need a stake or a crossbow for that," Spike said

"What, God is a vampire?" Xander laughed

Then he saw the deadly-serious look on Spike's face.

"You don't…" Xander began, "I mean, you can't…"

"Maybe God isn't a vampire, but if there is a god, he's definitely on their side," Spike said

The statement disturbed Xander so much that he forgot to tell Spike that Willow was going to try and restore Drusilla's soul.

"You don't fight, you just go in, get Giles, and get out," Spike ordered

"Got it."

/

Angelus advanced to Acathla, taking out a knife. He began reciting the required Latin words.

"Acathla... Mundatus sum... pro te necavi. Sanguinem meum... pro te effundam..." Angelus began

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open. A young vampire ran in.

"Spike is in the building!" he yelled

Angelus let out a roar. He stepped towards Acathla.

"Quo-me-dignum-esse-demonstrem," he said, very quickly, "Now-Acathla-we-will-be-free-and-so-will-we-all."

He cut his palm. At that moment, Spike burst in, and decapitated the vampire who had announced his presence. Angelus grabbed Acathla's sword and yanked it out, with a flash of light. Spike let out an angered growl.

"Sorry Spike, you're a bit too late," Angelus taunted

At that point, Spike raised his sword, and swung it at Angelus, planning to behead him. The vampire casually blocked it with his sword.

"Did you think this would be easy?" Angelus asked

/

The hospital…

/

Willow began to arrange her candles and herbs for the ritual. Oz looked at the two papers Xander had gotten from the library.

"Which one is the one I use?" Oz asked

"The one with the notes in red," Willow said

"And what's the other one?" Oz asked

"That one has the pure happiness clause," Willow explained

"I thought it was a clarity thing?" Cordelia asked

"From what I've read, the gypsies could either put in a pure-happiness clause or a pure-clarity one," Willow explained, "I guess they thought pure clarity was less likely to happen."

Oz looked at the page.

"You know I didn't take Latin, right?" Oz asked, looking at the ritual Willow had indicated

"You don't have to know it, you just have to know how to read it," Willow assured, "Now come on."

/

The Mansion…

/

Xander found Giles tied to a chair in a spare room. He cut him free.

"Giles, you've got to come with me," Xander urged

"No, you're a trick," Giles panted, "A hallucination, that they're making me see…"

"But why would they make you see me?" Xander questioned

"Good point."

Giles got up, leaning on Xander. The boy led him out of the mansion, passing by Spike fighting Angelus as Drusilla and Buffy watched.

/

Spike furiously crossed swords with Angelus. Angelus wanted to stay alive as much as Spike wanted to kill him. He knew that the slayer's sword would stop Acathla.

"You can't defeat me, slayer," Angelus teased

"Shut up, **Angel**," Spike said

Angelus' eyes widened with fury.

"Don't call me that!" he growled

Spike took a stab at Angelus; the vampire narrowly dodged it.

"But you let Buffy call you that," Spike grinned, "_'Oh, Angel, you're so brooding and pale! Make my loins quiver, Angel!'_"

Angelus couldn't hold himself back, and lashed out at Spike, slashing his right arm. He then leapt up a flight of stairs, keeping Spike away at a sword's length.

"I'm not going to kill you," Angelus insisted, "Because if I kill you now, you won't go to hell. Well, not the hell I want you to go to."

/

The Hospital…

/

Willow cast her stones, and gave Oz his cue to start reading the ritual. Cordelia lit her herbs and incense, and began to wave them about.

"Quod perditum est, invenietur," Oz read, uneasily

"Not dead... nor not of the living," Willow chanted, "Spirits of the interregnum, I call."

She felt the changes around her, the magic beginning to rise.

/

The Mansion...

/

"I don't think you thought your plan through," Spike said, "A world with no humans? How can you stand that? No one to feed on or torture, nothing to live for…you'll be the one who's in hell."

"Humanity is only the beginning," Angelus replied, "After I've destroyed them, I'll continue to until there's nothing left for me to destroy!"

"Do your descendants agree with you?" Spike asked

He looked to Drusilla and Buffy.

"Can you two live without humans?" he asked, "Dru, could you stand having no children around to torture?"

For a second, Drusilla's eyes darted away from Spike. That moment of doubt crushed Angelus.

"No!" he yelled

He couldn't have Spike corrupting…no, purifying his girls. He lashed out with his sword, throwing it at Spike. Spike dodged the hit, and Angelus jumped up to grab onto the chandelier, then swung himself at Spike, colliding feet-first with him. He stood on top of the slayers' chest, kicking his sword away.

"They'll never join you!" Angelus warned

Angelus placed his hands on Spike's neck, and began to strangle him. Spike tried to push him off to no avail. He reached his hand out to try and grab his sword, but it was just out of reach. The slayer was starved for oxygen; it was a horrible way to die.

Then Buffy kicked the sword back over to him.

"Buffy, what the…?"

Before Angelus could finish the sentence, Spike picked up the sword, sliced off Angelus' right hand, and then kicked him away. Angelus clasped the stub where his hand had been; it was off-the-charts painful (though not as painful as the last time a slayer had cut something of his off).

/

Spike grabbed Angelus, and dragged him in front of the swirling vortex that was coming out of Acathla.

"Forget this, I'm outta here," Buffy said, darting out the backdoor

Spike held the sword back, preparing to stab Angelus.

"No!" Drusilla screamed

She threw herself in front of Angelus, attempting to shield him. Spike accidentally skewered both of them. In shock, he let go of the sword, backing away. There was a loud vacuum-like sound, and Angelus was pulled screaming into the hell dimension. Drusilla was frozen in place, unable to remove the sword herself. Then her eyes flashed a pure white color. Willow's spell was complete.

"Spike?" Drusilla asked

"Oh my god…" Spike realized her soul had returned

Spike reached to the sword, planning to pull it out. Drusilla felt a sharp warning in her head.

"Don't!" she warned, "If you pull that out, nothing can stop Acathla!"

"You'll get sucked in if I don't!"

"But humanity won't!"

Anymore pressure on Spike might have killed him. He tried to think of something to say.

"I…I…" Spike began, "I don't…"

Before he could try and tell Drusilla how he felt, she was engulfed by Acathla's vortex, and faded away into the hell dimension.

/

Later…

/

Spike found Buffy outside, under a large tree in the shade.

"Did you do it?" Buffy asked, nervously

Spike nodded.

"And Drusilla?" Buffy asked

"She...went in with him," Spike said

Buffy was glad about that.

"So...what are you going to do now?" Buffy asked

Spike sat down next to Buffy.

"I'm going to have to go to LA, tell Kendra's friends that she died," Spike said, "Might be a good place to lie low until I'm cleared of murder."

The slayer lit up a cigarette.

"What about you? Gonna stick around?"

"I don't think so," Buffy admitted, "I've been living under Angelus' thumb for so long. I think I'd like to get out on my own, see the world through my own eyes."

Spike put his cigarette down.

"So are we breaking up?" he asked

"Don't worry, I'm not giving up on you yet, Spike Summers," Buffy assured, "We just need time."

Spike considered staking Buffy, but she had just saved his life and was going to leave Sunnydale, so he decided to let it go. The two of them got up and went their separate ways.

/

/

/

**End of Season Two**

/

/

/

To be continued…


	46. Anne: Part 1

**A/N: This chapter (being the first one in the episode) is kind of weak, but I'm just trying to set the scene for the main events of the episode. Try and stay with me.**

/

/

/

Helen's Kitchen, a diner in Los Angeles…

/

It was late in the evening; only two customers were at the diner, they were just ordering coffee, cup after cup. The two waitresses there were both teenage runaways. There was Anne, who was trying to forget her troubled past, and there was Sarah, who just wanted to stay out of trouble. Since business was slow, Sarah was taking a break to get some schoolwork done. She sat at a table, going through her books. Acquiring a high school diploma was her main priority.

/

Spike walked into the diner, taking off his backpack.

"Alright, everyone?" he asked

There was no enthusiasm in his voice; he had only spoken to announce his presence.

Anne saw him, and smiled.

"Hey John," she said

"Hi John," Sarah chimed in

'John' was the name Spike had been using in LA.

"I really like your hair," Anne said, "That look works for you."

She was referring to Spike's dark-brown hair, which he had dyed to avoid being recognized. Unfortunately, he hadn't mastered dying like he had bleaching; a few blonde tips still stuck out.

"Y-yeah, it's nice," Sarah added

"I know. Have you got that stuff I asked for?" Spike asked, impatiently

"Just a minute," Anne said

Anne disappeared to the kitchen. Spike turned to Sarah.

"Doing your homework?" he asked

"Yeah," Sarah replied, "It's really interesting, I'm doing this unit in Classic Literature right now. It's all about the symbolic ramifications of…"

Sarah realized Spike didn't care.

"I mean, yes, I'm doing homework," Sarah corrected herself

/

Anne came out of the kitchen, carrying a carton of ammonia and a bottle of grease, the latter collected from the deep fryer.

"Have you got what I asked for?" Anne asked

Spike took a small Ziploc bag out of his backpack, containing herbs stolen from a new-age store, and passed it to Anne. Anne slid Spike the ammonia and grease.

"If you've got nowhere to go, would you like to stay for some coffee?" Anne offered, "On me, of course."

"No," Spike replied, "Could use a free burger. In a to-go box."

Anne reluctantly gave it to him; she hoped that Spike would enjoy the burger enough to come back. Spike placed the burger, grease, and ammonia in his backpack, and began to leave. Then he stopped by Sarah, glancing at her homework.

"You've got that wrong, the house is symbolic of his betrayal, not of his youth," Spike pointed out

"Oh…" Sarah realized that made more sense, "Um, thanks?"

Spike left.

/

A disused storage depot in LA…

/

Spike walked up to the storage depot doors, knocking fast twice, then slow once. The doors opened; Spike was faced with three street-kids holding crossbows and stakes.

"What do you want?" one of them asked

"Got something for Gunn," Spike said

A tall black man dressed in street clothes, most noticeably a hoodie and a do-rag, passed through the street-kids.

"It's cool, it's just John," the man assured

He turned to Spike.

"Got it?" he asked

Spike held up his ammonia and grease.

"All you do is…" Spike gave the man instructions on how to correctly use the items, "…and you got yourself a bomb."

"Awesome," the man was ecstatic at the thought of using it against some vampires

The man took a bottle of prescription pills out from his pocket. He had stolen them from a private medical clinic, not a hospital.

"These are what you wanted, right?"

Spike read the description.

"Yeah."

"Cool."

The two of them traded their items.

"You gotta come hang out with us sometime," the man offered, "I'd like to see what British people are like when they're hammered."

"I'll pass," Spike said

/

Later…

/

After doing a quick training session, Spike made his way back to his Desoto, which was parked behind a garish fast-food restaurant. The slayer got into the car. It was safe in there; Spike paid a homeless man to wash the windows with holy water.

"Where are my headphones?" Spike muttered

He sifted through the crisp packets, stakes, and candy bar wrappers on the floor, finding his headphones, and by extension his Walkman. Whilst listening to some music, Spike took two of his pills, swallowing them with Pepsi. They were sleeping pills; slayer-dreaming was impossible in artificial sleep.

/

The next day…

/

Spike walked back to the diner. He had forgotten to ask Anne to collect more grease for him, and hoped to get to her before she emptied the grease traps. He entered the diner. It was very crowded. Spike walked through the swarm of people to find Sarah behind the counter, swamped with work.

"Where's Anne?" Spike asked

"She didn't show up," Sarah said, trying to talk to Spike and serve a customer at the same time

"Oh," Spike was ready to leave

"A-and she didn't come home last night," Sarah added

"I'll come back tomorrow," Spike said

He started to leave, but then he realized that Sarah was passively trying to ask for his help. Spike walked back to Sarah.

"Does she do that often?" Spike asked

Sarah shook her head.

"We have an agreement, if she doesn't come home and doesn't call then I should assume the worst," Sarah explained, "I tried talking to the police about it, but, um, when I got there they all looked really, uh, well, busy, so I…"

"I'll look into it," Spike interrupted, "What time do you get off work?"

"Um, ten o'clock?"

"Fine. You can take me to your place."

"Thanks," Sarah said

/

Sunnydale…

/

Xander and Giles were standing by the gates of the cemetery, waiting for Oz.

"Still no word on Spike?" Xander asked

"I've tried to use my resources with the council to find him, but they're too preoccupied by tracking down the new slayer," Giles explained, "I think I might go ahead and hire a private investigator to find him."

"I don't know, remember the last time someone was sent to find Spike?" Xander asked

"True," Giles nodded, "I heard a rumor that the Order of Taraka's now has 'no Sunnydale jobs' printed on their business cards."

The two heard footsteps heading their way.

"It's Oz," Giles said, "Are you ready?"

"Of course," Xander replied

Oz ran through the cemetery entrance; just in time, Xander yanked on a rope he was holding, and a line of piano wire was raised across the entrance columns. The vampire that Oz had baited ran through just in time to get decapitated.

"Yes!" Xander felt a sense of pride

"You know, I wasn't quite sure if that would work," Giles admitted

"Well, the pulleys need a little work," Xander said, "And if we're going to do this again, we'll need a better quality wood."

/

LA…

/

Spike walked into the diner, in time to find Sarah wiping the counters.

"Hey John, I just need, um, a minute," Sarah said

Spike sat down. Sarah soon finished closing up, and went to the backroom. She changed out of her waitress uniform and into a skirt and blue jacket.

"My place is...it's just down the road," Sarah said, pointing out of the diner

/

Spike followed Sarah to the place she lived; he had expected her to live in a small, rundown apartment, but this was worse. It was an old factory, filled with girls who were sleeping rough on cots and worn-out futons.

"This is where you live?" Spike asked

"It's a communal thing," Sarah explained, "For protection."

Sarah walked to a table that held a variety of foods. She placed two burgers and a pie (stolen from work) on it.

"We pool our resources," Sarah explained, "Food, clothes, money…collectively, we earn enough to get by."

"Where did Anne sleep?" Spike asked

Sarah pointed to a cot in the corner of the room. There were some boxes under it.

"What do you think?" Sarah asked

"I haven't looked yet," Spike said, irritated

"Sorry."

Spike looked down in the boxes, finding various items; makeup, clothes, a few personal effects, but nothing that could tell him where Anne had gone. Then Spike noticed something that had fallen to the bottom of a box, a white business card.

"Damien Natas," Spike read the card, "Escort Agent."

Beneath that was an address for business inquiries (a location off a highway), and another for legal inquiries (the law offices of Wolfram and Hart).

"Oh, that's from this creepy guy who came to the diner last week," Sarah said, looking irritated, "He gave Anne his card, saying he was always on the lookout for a girl like her. Can you believe the nerve of him?"

"I can," Spike said, "Did he know where you lived?"

"Well, Anne and I heard...well, we thought we heard someone following us home that night," Sarah explained, "Could this be our guy?"

"Might be worth checking out," Spike said

/

Sunnydale…

/

Xander, Willow, and Giles sat in the Summers' living room as Joyce checked on dinner. They were laughing at a story Giles had been telling.

"He had no idea it was made of rubber?" Willow laughed

"No," Giles shook his head, trying to keep a straight face, "Well, I imagine he had some suspicion when he tried to kill the vampire, and…"

"Willow," Joyce stuck her head out, "Can you give me a hand in the kitchen?"

"Sure," Willow got up

/

Xander and Giles were left alone.

"So, Xander, do you have any plans for next weekend?" Giles asked

"Uh, no, not really," Xander said, "Why?"

"There's a medieval history convention down in Los Angeles," Giles explained

"Oh yeah?"

"I had an idea that we could drive down there for the day, and when we get there you could attend some workshops on medieval weaponry whilst I shop for some old books."

"I could go for that," Xander said, "But…how much is it?"

"Oh, my Watcher's council expense account would cover both of us," Giles explained

That was a lie.

/

/

/

To be continued...


	47. Anne: Part 2

/

/

/

Spike and Sarah left the factory and took a bus to the location on the business card. The bus was quite dirty, and there were some strange people on it. Spike sat on the outer of the bus-seat, to shield Sarah from anyone who would try and come near her.

"So," Spike shifted on his bus-seat, "Why did you ask for my help?"

"What?" Sarah asked

"I'm just a guy who occasionally comes into your workplace," Spike said, "Why me?"

"Because…well, because you're a slayer," Sarah said

WHAM.

"What?" Spike asked, thrown off-guard

"Um, I'm right, aren't I?" Sarah asked

"Yeah…how did you know?"

"Have you ever heard of aura-reading?" Sarah asked

"Yeah, I once met this woman who bragged about having it, and about mastering the ability to teleport people."

"Did she?" Sarah asked, intrigued

"Unless she meant to teleport me to a disused rest-stop in Denver, then no."

"Oh. Well, um, basically, I see things differently," Sarah explained, "You being a slayer, it just shows up on your...aura."

"Can you see anything else?"

"Just a cloud of guilt, and...I know despite that fake ID you carry, your real name isn't John Hart."

Spike sighed.

"So...what is your real name?" Sarah asked, "Um, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Spike," Spike reluctantly told her, "Spike Summers."

"Well, Spike, it might interest you to know that you're not the only one who's using a fake name..."

"Is that so, Tara Maclay?" Spike asked sarcastically

Tara clasped her hand to her mouth in surprise.

"How did…?" she began

"Aura reading is no match for rummaging through someone's purse," Spike said, "You know, keeping your birth certificate in there wasn't a smart move."

"I needed it to apply to university…" Tara stopped mid-sentence, deciding to focus on a more important issue, "Look, you can't tell anyone who I am. Please."

"I'm not going to," Spike said

"Seriously. If my family find me, they'll make me come home. You can understand, can't you?"

"Well…"

"I mean, isn't that why you're here? Aren't you a runaway, like me?"

"I could go back anytime I want," Spike said, "I just needed to get away."

"What happened?"

"I lost a friend, then my ex-girlfriend died," Spike tried to remain vague, "I'm just taking some time off."

"Oh."

"So what are you running away from?" Spike asked

"Well my mom died," Tara explained, "And I realized I didn't want to spend the rest of my life stuck at home."

"And you left?"

"Yeah. Well, not immediately. I was going to try and get my dad to let me go to state college, but then I met a guy who offered to buy met a bus ticket to LA."

"What did he want in return?"

"Um, he just made me promise I'd keep practicing magic," Tara explained, "He didn't want me to, uh, do anything else…"

Tara cleared her throat, and looked away from Spike. She didn't like to think about the man; although he acted nice, it was obvious he didn't have noble intentions.

"And the rest of your family…?" Spike prompted

"There's just my dad, my brother, and my cousin Beth," Tara tried not to think of them, "They're better off without me."

/

The bus reached its stop, which was located on a road just off a highway. Spike and Tara got off.

"Should be just over there," Spike said, pointing to the distance.

They walked across the street, then down a small dirt road where a set of office-trailers were situated (similar to trailers one would see at a construction site). There was a sign saying 'No Trespassing' on the chain-link fence surrounding the area.

"I knew I wasn't going to like this," Tara said

Spike leaned against the chain-link fence and tried to look closer.

"Want these?" Tara offered

She held out a pair of binoculars from her satchel. Spike took them, licked the lenses clean, and spied on the main trailer, where there was a receptionist. He would have to go past it to look into the other trailers, since the binoculars couldn't see that far.

"I need you to go in and distract the receptionist while I look around."

"W-what if it gets dangerous?" Tara asked

Spike reached into his coat, taking out a revolver.

"Huuh!" Tara gasped

"Relax, I'm giving it to you," Spike said

It was a dark reflection to Tara's action of handing Spike binoculars.

"Don't worry, I wiped the fingerprints off the bullets," Spike assured

"I-I really don't like guns," Tara stammered

"What else are you going to do if someone tries to hurt you?" Spike asked, "Doormat them to death?"

Tara reluctantly took the gun from Spike. It felt heavy in her hands, and dangerous.

"No," she shook her head, handing it back to Spike, "I can't."

/

Tara went into the receptionist's office. She started talking to the woman at the desk, pretending to be lost; Spike snuck around the first trailer, heading to the five other trailers. he looked through the barred windows; the first two rooms were occupied by couples having sex. It was obvious the place was a cover for a brothel. Then Spike looked in the third room, and saw Anne through the window, lying on a bed. She looked weak, and had two puncture wounds in her neck, from a vampire bite. Spike had seen something like this before; it gave him the chills. Nevertheless, he soldiered on.

/

Spike went round to the front of the trailer, and broke the lock. He opened the door…then felt a heavy object colliding with his head.

"Ow!" Spike yelled

"John?" Anne asked, "I am so sorry!"

Spike got to his feet.

"What was that?" he asked

"Part of the bed," Anne said, holding up a chunk of wood, "I thought you were…a…well, a…"

"Vampire," Spike completed

Anne nodded.

"They drank my blood," Anne said, "They said they were going to keep me here for…"

Spike grabbed a chunk of Anne's hair, and yanked on it. She yelped, but didn't change.

"What the hell?" Anne yelled

"Had to check," Spike said, "Sorry. Let's go."

Spike led Anne to the door, when two vampires ran up to them, with their game-faces on. They were big, wearing leather jacket. One of them was distinguished by his crew-cut, the other by his beard.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you, never to mess with another man's business?" Crew-Cut taunted

They advanced towards Spike; Spike punched crew-cut in the face, then kicked the bearded guy in the chest. Crew-cut didn't give up, and grabbed Spike by the arm, twisting it around; Spike grabbed Crew-cut's free arm, then head-butted him. Bearded-guy went in for a spinning kick, but Spike intercepted his foot and shoved it out of the trailer. Spike followed him out, and began to kick him while he was down. Crew-cut tried to sneak up on Spike, but then Anne hit him on the head with her chunk of wood, knocking the vampire towards Spike; in a blind panic, Spike turned around and staked Crew-cut, then went back to stake the bearded guy.

/

Anne and Spike ran to the receptionist's trailer. They found Tara in the corner, trying to conjure up fireballs at the receptionist, who was a vampire. Spike staked her, just as Tara managed to engulf her in a fireball. There was no way of knowing who really killed her.

/

"Anne!" Tara hugged her, "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Spike pulled them apart.

"We have to leave now," he interrupted, "They might have backup coming, extra security."

The three of them began walking back to the bus stop, when Spike looked to one of the trailers, the trailer with the nameplate "Damien Natas" on the door. The man who called himself by that name was standing in the doorway of the main office. He looked at Spike; Spike looked back at him. They both knew each other, but couldn't quite remember from where. Then it hit them:

"William!" the man grinned

"Oh god…" Spike gasped

He realized who 'Damien Natas' was. He was Lucifer, the vampire who killed all of Spike's friends in England. That was the reason for Spike's uneasiness; selling human girls to vampires was Lucifer's profession.

"Small world, Summers!" Lucifer called out, grinning

Spike turned back to the girls.

"Do you know him?" Tara asked

"Let's go," Spike ordered, "Now!"

/

Tara and Anne's Factory…

/

Spike walked into the factory with Tara, helping Anne walk in. The girls in the room got up, crowding around them, asking what had happened.

"Everyone stand back, give her some room," Tara ordered

Spike got Anne down onto her cot; she had gotten weaker during the bus ride back home.

"She's lost a good deal of blood," Spike said, "Do you have any medicine here? Specifically, iron tablets?"

"I'll check and see," one of the girls said

"And get her something to drink," Tara suggested

A girl ran to check the medicine stash, another to the food table.

"Will she…rise?" Tara attempted

"No, she just got a bit drained, she didn't drink," Spike replied, "But you might want to get someone to cover her shifts at work for the next few days."

/

Sunnydale…

/

Xander was in the library with Giles, helping him restock some books.

"…but to sum it up, Bane's intellect is supposed to be his greatest weapon," Xander continued, "Because he's so big, everyone mistakenly assumes that he's supposed to be a mindless henchman, but really, the Venom is just a small bonus, even without it he's capable of matching Batman in combat. And that's modern-day Batman, not 60's comic-code Batman."

"I see," Giles tried to keep track of Xander's comic book-talk, but the only reference he knew was 'Batman'

Giles slid another book into the shelf.

"Xander, I was wondering, I've seen your work with large traps, but how good are you with small machines?" Giles asked

"Depends, what are you trying to build?" Xander asked

Giles opened up a secret compartment in the shelf, and took out some blueprints. He showed them to Xander. Xander studied them.

"So…you're trying to build a watch?" Xander asked

"Not quite. It's a watch with a hidden function," Giles explained

"Oh, is James Bond's birthday coming up?" Xander joked

"It's not his that I'm concerned about..."

Then the library doors opened, revealing Principal Snyder. His throat was still bandaged, but his jaws were no longer wired shut. He said something to Xander.

"What?" Xander asked

Snyder repeated his statement.

"Say it again?" Xander leaned in closer to him

Snyder said something that sounded like 'Harris, why are you in the library?'.

"Oh, I'm just helping Mr. Giles restock," Xander replied

Snyder tried to insult Xander by making cynical comments about his future.

"What?" Xander asked, unfazed

Snyder muttered something that almost sounded like "never mind", then turned to the exit.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	48. Anne: Part 3

/

/

/

The next day, LA…

/

After patrolling and training, Spike had gone to Helen's Kitchen for dinner; Tara had promised him some fries and anything that fell on the floor.

"So, uh, how did your day go?" Tara asked, returning to the counter

"Didn't get much done," Spike said, "Killed a couple of vampires, told a demon to go back to his own dimension."

"W-what did he say?"

"Bastard pulled the race card on me," Spike muttered

"Harsh," Tara commented

"So how's Anne?" Spike asked, changing the subject

"She just needs some time off," Tara said, "I-I know I already said this, but thank you so much for saving her."

"That was easy," Spike said, "Hard part is making sure it won't happen again."

"True," Tara agreed

A timer went off in the kitchen; at the same time, a customer said he was ready to order. Tara was caught between the two.

"I'll get him, you get the timer," Spike instructed

Spike went to deal with the customer and Tara went to take a pie out of the oven.

"What do you want?" Spike asked

"Large chicken sandwich, extra fries," the man ordered, "And…"

Suddenly, there was a loud clatter from the kitchen, and a little scream. Spike abandoned the man, running to Tara's aid. Lucifer was in the kitchen, holding a knife to Tara's neck.

/

"Don't come any closer, William," Lucifer threatened

Lucifer was obviously on edge; Spike tried to remain calm, and distract him. Tara was terrified.

"What was your plan?" Spike asked, "Kill her, send me a warning?"

"Yes," Lucifer nodded, "I use it a lot, but it works."

Spike began to advance forward.

"Keep back!" Lucifer warned, "I can easily kill her and get away!"

Lucifer was looking to the rear exit, trying to see if he could get past Spike to leave. Spike saw this, and continued advancing forward.

"I'm not bluffing!" Lucifer warned

"Well now you've given yourself away," Spike informed, "Only someone who's bluffing ever says they're not."

Spike's hand grabbed Lucifer's arm, and he pulled the vamp's knife away from Tara's neck. Then, quick as lightning, Spike used his other hand to grab Lucifer by the throat and lift him up.

/

It was at that point that Spike realized that Lucifer wasn't his worst enemy; he had just been Spike's FIRST enemy. And as far as enemies ranked, Lucifer was barely worth more than the newborn-vamps Spike killed on his patrols; he was a business-vampire who had gotten lucky.

"Tara, give us a minute alone?" Spike asked

Tara scarpered out of the kitchen, faster than she had done when she had left home. Spike disarmed Lucifer, then took out his stake. Lucifer looked away, terrified.

"You know what?" Spike asked, "I think I'm going to let you live. Otherwise a competent enemy might take your place."

He let Lucifer down. The vampire breathed a sigh of relief, adjusted his jacket...

CRACK!

Spike's stake had just penetrated Lucifer's chest. Lucifer looked up at Spike, seeing the almost inhuman look of satisfaction on the teen's face.

"Cannot believe you fell for that..." Spike said, before Lucifer turned to dust

/

Sunnydale…

/

It was midnight, and 'Dingoes' were playing at the Bronze; Oz was taking a break in his van with Willow.

"Five minutes, then I have to get back," Oz informed

He and Willow climbed into the back of the van. Willow was moving very slowly.

"Is something bothering you?" Oz asked

"Not…well, yeah," Willow admitted, "I don't think we can keep doing this, sneaking around behind Xander."

Oz's heart sunk; he was afraid that Willow would eventually come round to that school of thought.

"So are we over?" Oz asked

"I just know I don't want to keep lying to Xander," Willow said

"Well what do _you_ want?" Oz asked

"I…I have no idea," Willow admitted, "Sometimes I want you, sometimes I want Xander, and sometimes, believe it or not, I even want…"

Willow stopped talking, deciding it was best to keep that last thought to herself.

"I'm confused, okay?" she sighed

/

LA, the next day…

/

With his newfound confidence, Spike had decided he was ready to return to Sunnydale. The Desoto was still broken down, but lucky for Spike, Tara knew about fixing cars (she had learned from watching her brother fix his truck). Spike, in turn, was watching her, in case he had to do it again.

"Good Goddess, Spike, how many weapons do you keep in here?" Tara found a bowie knife loosely taped beneath the engine

"Better safe than sorry," Spike replied

Tara pointed to some wires that the knife had slashed.

"Oh..."

/

Eventually, Tara managed to reattach the wires with a paperclip and a chewing gum wrapper. When she got up from under the hood, she noticed Spike's hair.

"You went back to being blonde!"

"Yep," Spike nodded

"I-it looks nice. More like you."

Spike reached into the backseat of the car, taking out an unopened box of hair dye.

"I got this second one free, if you want to give it a go," Spike offered

Tara examined her mousy brown hair.

"Alright," she agreed

Spike handed Tara the box, and she stuffed it in her satchel.

"Could you hand me the wrench?" Tara asked

Spike handed it to her. Tara slammed it against the engine.

"Make sure you read the instructions on the dye," Spike said, "Otherwise you could end up with unevenly dyed hair."

Tara was too busy tightening bolts to listen to Spike.

"Tara, you hear what I just said?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," she nodded, untruthfully, "Try the engine now."

Spike turned the keys in the ignition, and the engine roared back to life.

/

Spike slammed the trunk shut, then walked round to the front of the car. He had finished packing his stuff.

"Do you know what you're going to say to everyone when you get back?" Tara asked

"Not sure," Spike said, "I think my friends are going to be mad. I really took them for granted."

"They, uh, they sound like nice people," Tara said, "I mean, from what you've told me. I'm sure they, well, I wouldn't think they'd be too hard on you."

"Yeah," Spike agreed

He took out his wallet, and showed Tara the picture he kept in there of his friends.

"Never thought you'd be the sentimental type," Tara commented

"I just keep the photo around in case any of them go missing," Spike explained

Tara looked closer at the photo. They were an odd group of friends: Tara noticed Spike, of course, and a short boy who was dangerously calm, a teenager in a Hawaiian shirt with a silly grin, a scowling brunette girl, and an older man in a tweed suit. But it was the redhead who really caught Tara's attention. She wanted to look at the girl a bit longer, but Spike closed his wallet.

"Anyway…I should go," he said

"Maybe I'll see you again sometime?" Tara attempted

Spike shook his head.

"Not really likely," he admitted, "Still, it was good to have met you."

They shook hands, then Spike got into his car and drove away.

/

Whilst driving home, Spike had a lot of time to think about how he'd get his life back together. His friends would need time to forgive him, he knew that. He also knew that school had started already, and he would also have to do something about getting un-expelled. And on that note, what had happened to Snyder? If he had died, would the council cover it up? Most likely, they would, but there would likely be some punishment. Spike could deal with that. I mean, the council was a bit shadowy, but they wouldn't ever make him do something that could seriously hurt him, right?

/

It was dark by the time Spike got back to Sunnydale. He drove the Desoto into the driveway, behind Joyce's jeep. He sat there for about a minute, wondering what he was going to say. Eventually, Spike got out of the car and walked to his house, knocking on the door. Joyce answered.

Spike stood there, unable to say anything. Joyce was in a similar predicament.

Then Joyce slapped Spike, and slammed the door in his face.

/

/

/

To be continued…

/

**A/N: I admit that I know nothing about fixing cars.**


	49. Dead Man's Faith: Part 1

**A/N: This will basically be a combination of the episodes "Dead Man's Party" and "Faith, Hope, and Trick", mostly the latter. Don't worry, this is probably the only time I'll do something like that.  
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/

/

/

Giles' Apartment…

/

Spike was lying on Giles' sofa, fast asleep. He had a stake in one hand, and a book in another. He woke up when he heard the front door slam shut. Giles had come home from work.

"Back so soon?" Spike asked

"I left early," Giles replied

Giles eyed the kitchen sink.

"I thought you said you'd do the dishes?" Giles asked

"I said I'd do them later," Spike reminded

"Well it IS later."

Giles noticed the TV was on.

"Have you just been sitting around watching TV all day?" Giles accused

"Only to help me go to sleep," Spike replied

"You were watching it when I left this morning! Are you telling me you slept through the entire day?"

"I had a long night! I like to unwind when I get home!"

"Oh, and you think I don't?"

Spike got up, and walked to the front door. He lifted his coat off the coat rack.

"Where are you going?" Giles asked

"Sundown soon," Spike said, "Got my poker game tonight."

"I thought you were making dinner tonight?"

"Can't you just order a pizza?"

"Well I _could_, but…"

"Great, don't wait up," Spike said

Spike walked out, slamming the door behind him. Giles made a mental note to phone the Watchers Council and inquire if strangling Spike would cost him his job.

/

The next day…

/

Oz and Willow were going off-campus to join Spike for lunch in the park.

"I can't believe it," Willow smiled, "We're seniors now. We can finally go off-campus for lunch."

"Yeah," Oz said, "Let's hope they don't change the rules while we're gone."

Willow panicked.

"Oh God, can they do that?" she asked, "We should go back! They might let us off with a warning…"

"Do I have to carry you there myself?" Oz asked

"Could you?"

"You'd have to help me."

/

They made it to the park. Spike sat at a picnic table, with a cooler and a plastic container in front of him.

"We should stop acting all couple-like around Spike," Oz suggested, as they got closer to him, "I mean, he's probably still sore over Drusilla."

"But this is the only time we can be couple-like," Willow reminded

"I know, but he needs time."

"Alright."

The two of them separated, then approached Spike.

"Hey Will, Oz," Spike said

He opened the container.

"I've got three hamburgers and a veggie-burger," Spike said

Willow eagerly took a hamburger, Oz took the veggie burger. He had begun following a vegetarian diet to compensate for anything he ate as a werewolf.

"This is pretty good," Willow said, "Did you make them yourself?"

"Yeah. Bit difficult with Giles' stove broken," Spike said, "But my car engine was just as good."

Willow stopped eating. Oz didn't.

"Do we have any ketchup?"

/

Harmony and some friends of hers walked by the table.

"Hi Spike," Harmony waved

Spike casually acknowledged the wave, and Harmony walked away.

"I think she likes you," Willow said, "You should ask her out."

Willow was eager for Spike to quickly move on from Drusilla, forget about her as soon as possible.

"Nah, she's way too shallow," Spike shook his head

"Well she's not a complete bitch anymore," Willow reminded

Oz and Spike looked at her strangely.

"Well she isn't!" Willow defended herself

"Did I tell you I wrote a new song?" Oz decided to change the subject

"What's it called?" Spike asked, also wanting to change the subject

"It's called The Death Paradox," Oz explained, "I took it from one of Giles' books."

"That big leather one?" Willow asked

"Yeah. I got the idea when I tried to play this chord on a…"

Spike got distracted by a girl he saw at a picnic table, sitting by herself. She had long, black, hair like Drusilla, but a fashion sense and youthfulness like Buffy's, if a little darker. The girl saw that Spike was looking at her.

"Hi," she mouthed

"Hey," Spike mouthed back

The girl decided to have some fun with Spike, and took a banana out of her lunchbox. She seductively ate it, starting by teasing the tip of the banana with her tongue and finishing by swallowing it slowly. Spike's trousers got tighter.

"Well, I didn't think my story was that exciting," Oz muttered

Spike shot back to reality, slightly embarrassed.

/

Later, the edge of town…

/

A completely black limousine rolled into town. Its occupants were an ancient Greek vampire by the name of Kakistos (so ancient that his hands were cloven and his face was locked in demon-mode), and a fairly young but experienced vampire named Mr. Trick. The limo stopped on the highstreet.

"This town's got quaint," Mr. Trick noted, "And the people? Did you notice, that drive-thru kid called me 'sir'. I missed that. I mean, this place is hardly a haven for a brother, mostly just the Caucasian-persuasion here, but you gotta respect that death rate. Makes DC look like Mayberry, and no one's the wiser. We could have some real fun here."

Mr. Trick stepped out of the car.

"Do you know what you have to do?" Kakistos asked

"Relax, I got this," Trick assured

/

Mr. Trick walked into the art gallery, straightening his tie. Joyce Summers was in there, working late.

"Good evening, ma'am," Mr. Trick said, with his usual smugness, "I'm looking for an item you may have received in the past few days. A Nigerian mask, known as the Mask of Ovu Mobani."

Joyce looked up from her desk.

"Oh yes, I've got it in the backroom," she said, "But I should warn you, it's gonna cost…"

Then Joyce noticed the mirror by the wall. Mr. Trick wasn't showing up in the reflection.

"…nothing," Joyce said, slightly frightened, "You can have it. It's worthless, I don't want it, you can take it and get out of here."

"Very good," Mr. Trick grinned

Joyce rushed to the backroom, finding the mask. She brought it out to Mr. Trick.

"Excellent," Trick looked directly into the mask's eyes

He then looked up at Joyce.

"Unfortunately, no one can know I was here…" Trick began

Joyce coughed twice. The security guard that stood by the front door reached for the stake in his belt in readiness. The situation became very tense.

"…so I'll just have to assume you won't tell anyone," Trick completed

"Good," Joyce said

Slowly, Mr. Trick walked out of the art gallery, keeping his eyes on Joyce and the security guard.

/

The next day…

/

Spike and Xander were walking from the Desoto to a house in a subdivision. The man at the gate wouldn't let them drive through, so they had to hop the fence.

"I cannot believe we're going to a party at Harmony's house," Spike muttered

The boys were there at Willow's coercion. It was part of her secret attempt to get Spike to move on from Drusilla.

"Come on, it might be fun," Xander said

"Fun? Are we thinking of the same Harmony?" Spike asked, "Harmony Kendall, who petitioned to have separate bathrooms for non-cheerleaders?"

"She's not that bad!" Xander insisted

He paused.

"But you remembered your flask, right?" Xander asked

/

They walked up to Harmony's house. Loud music emanated from inside. Xander knocked on the door.

"Hi Xander," Harmony said, slightly disdainful

She then noticed…

"Spike!" she grinned

She hugged Spike, to his disdain.

"You're looking well," she said, "Hair's looking a bit blonder…"

She ran her hands through his hair.

"Come inside. I want to show you around."

She dragged Spike in before he could run. Inside, there were a load of students dancing. Dingoes Ate My Baby (Oz's band) was playing.

"What do you think?" Harmony asked

"S'alright," Spike said

"If it's not your scene, we could go to my room and watch a movie?" Harmony suggested, "Just the two of us...? Well, and my unicorn collection."

"I'll pass," Spike said

Spike took out a bag from his coat.

"You wanna smoke a joint?" he offered

"Oh...! Yeah, I do that all the time," Harmony lied

Spike pulled out a lighter.

"But we can't do it inside," Harmony quickly added, "Silk wallpaper."

/

The two of them adjourned to the back porch. Spike tried to get Harmony to smoke, but she ended up running back inside in a coughing fit.

"Now that was pathetic," someone said

Spike turned around, and saw the girl from the park climbing over the porch railing.

"Hey…" Spike began

The girl took the joint from Spike, and took a long drag. She exhaled smoothly; it wasn't her first time.

"Wow," she grinned, "Not bad. Where'd you get it?"

"From this guy, Rack," Spike said, "Best in town. Trouble is he's moved up to harder stuff."

"Damn,"

The girl sat down on one of the porch chairs.

"So, what do they call you?" she asked

"Spike."

The girl snorted.

"Did you pick out that name yourself?" she asked

"No, it's my given name," Spike said

"Right…"

"Well what do I call you?"

"Faith. Faith Lehane."

Spike snorted back at her.

"You sound like an extra from a Tennessee Williams play."

"Well what kind of name is Spike? _Oh, I'm Spike, I wear a leather coat and I love Joey Ramone_," Faith imitated Spike

"I prefer Sid Vicious," Spike replied

"Whatever," Faith sat down, "Hey, are you the same Spike who burnt down his old school?"

"No, I'm one of the other Spikes. We're thinking of starting a club."

Faith laughed.

"I think I'm starting to like you, Spike," she said

/

Faith and Spike walked back into the house. They found everyone silent, fixated at something in the center of the living room. At first Spike was confused, but then he saw what everyone was staring at: a vampire had entered the house, and was holding someone up by the throat.

"Where is the slayer?" the vampire demanded

"I'm the slayer," Spike said, stepping forward

The vampire studied Spike. His vampire-senses were fine-tuned enough to recognize a slayer on sight.

"I guess the times are changing," the vampire shrugged

The vampire dropped the teenager he was holding.

"Kakistos wants to see you," the vampire said

"Who's Kakistos?" Spike asked

"Your new worst enemy," the vampire continued, "He says you can either come meet him at the abandoned fairground, or he'll come find you when you least expect it."

"Anything else?"

"No."

Spike reached for a stake, but only found a large tear in his pocket. The vampire took advantage of Spike's surprise, and kicked Spike down into the fireplace.

"Don't get ash on the carpet!" Harmony exclaimed

Spike got back up, and got the vampire in a headlock.

"I could use some help!" Spike growled

Xander looked around for something made of wood. In desperation, he broke a piece off the banister.

"Xander, you're gonna pay for that!" Harmony yelled

Xander threw the piece of wood to Spike, who staked the vampire.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	50. Dead Man's Faith: Part 2

/

/

/

"Kakistos is in Sunnydale?" Giles asked

Spike was talking to Giles on speaker-phone.

"You know him?" Spike asked, "What is he, another business-vampire?"

"No, he's a centuries-old vampire," Giles stated, "His name is Greek, meaning the worst of the worst. And he likes slayers."

"And I'm guessing that doesn't mean he wants to take Spike for dinner and a movie?" Xander asked

"No. He's been known to use excessive violence and torture to drive women to madness, and turn them into his servants," Giles explained, "He's been doing so ever since Ancient Greece."

"Is that where Maenads come from?" Oz asked

Upon hearing 'Maenads', Spike dropped his drink in shock. Oz and Xander looked at him strangely.

"Yes. You know of Maenads?" Giles asked

"Kakistos, dangerous, hates slayers," Spike said, "Got it!"

He hung up the phone.

/

The Abandoned Fairground…

/

Spike stopped the car in front of the fairground gate. He took a look at the fairground. It was another one of the many horror-movie cliches that existed in Sunnydale, along with the abundance of empty warehouses, dark alleys, and cemeteries. Most people just chalked it up to an unfortunate coincidence.

"How come I've never heard of this place?" Spike asked

"They don't exactly advertise it," Xander explained, "It got shut down ten years ago for safety violations. A lot of people went missing here."

"You mean they died," Spike said

"No, missing," Xander said, "Never found the bodies. But if it's any consolation, a lot of people are confirmed to have died here."

They got out of the car; Spike took out two stakes out of the car boot.

"Only come after me if I really, really, really need help," Spike instructed

/

Spike walked into the fairground, to the center of it. He was still in Xander and Oz's sights.

"Anyone here?" Spike asked

At that point, Kakistos revealed himself to Spike. He was quite intimidating; the man was a foot taller than Xander, and very muscular. He wore a dark red cassock, and there was a terrifying scar down his right eye. He had a strange wooden mask around his neck on a line of rope.

"Spike Summers…" Kakistos said, "The boy-slayer. First of his kind."

"Does the council tell everyone about me?" Spike sighed

"I wouldn't know," Kakistos said, "I heard about you from one of my Maenads. She found your encounter…quite interesting."

Spike gritted his teeth.

"I was young and confused, okay?" Spike growled, "I didn't know…!"

Kakistos held up his wooden mask. He ran his hand down the side of it, muttering a few words in an ancient African dialect. The eyes on the mask glowed red. Then there was a roar of lightning. Several hands thrust their way out of the ground, followed by the corpses attached to them.

"Fighting a male slayer will bring me no thrill," Kakistos announced, "But I would like to see how you fare against an undead army."

/

Zombies climbed out of the ground, and formed a crowd around Spike. He started to fight them off, but they were relentless. Xander saw this. He grabbed the shotgun and some shells from the car and ran towards the zombies, firing at their heads. It seemed to work.

"How did you know...?" Spike began

"That's how it works in every movie ever," Xander explained, "Basically, remove the head or destroy the brain!"

Spike nodded, and grabbed a plank of wood from a nearby stall. He swung it at his attackers, knocking a couple of their heads off. Xander hastily attempted to reload the shotgun.

"Behind you!" Spike yelled

Xander spun around, blasting the head off a zombie. He had dreamed of doing this ever since he was five and first watched 'Dawn of the Dead'.

"Hey, Oz, you're missing out on the fun!" Xander yelled

Then one zombie was knocked aside, revealing Oz with a baseball bat.

/

Unbeknownst to Spike, Faith had followed them to the fairground. She pressed herself against the large iron fence, watching the scene unfold. Spike, Xander, and Oz were furiously smashing and shooting zombies left, right, and center, but it was clear they couldn't go on for much longer; zombies were arriving from a greater distance. And to add insult to injury, Kakistos had switched on the fairground's PA system, and was playing an annoyingly-upbeat rock song.

"Who put this on?" Spike yelled

"It's on random!" Kakistos grinned

Faith noticed the mask he was holding; it was glowing unnaturally red, obviously the source of the zombies' power.

/

A simple kick was all it took to open Spike's trunk. Faith looked inside, seeing all the weapons Spike stashed in there.

"Well, someone paid attention in boy scouts," Faith muttered

She picked up a large machete; of all the weapons, since it seemed most threatening.

"Here goes nothing…" she sighed

Faith ran to the fairground, leaping over the gate. She touched down right behind Kakistos. Spike saw her.

"Faith, get out of here!" he yelled

Faith ignored Spike. Kakistos faced her, let out a growl, and swiped one of his cloven fists at her. The girl ducked in time, then kicked Kakistos a safe distance away from her. She then swung the machete at Kakistos, slicing clean through his neck. For a second, his head fell to the ground, then his entire form turned to dust. The mask, being attached to Kakistos, crumbled too. The zombies fell to the ground; they were again at rest. The slayer and his friends looked around, seeing that they were safe. Xander held up the shotgun, and blasted the speakers. He hated that song.

/

As soon as he was sure they were dead, Spike stepped over the corpses, running towards Faith.

"Faith, how did you do that?" Spike asked

"Do what?"

"That strength, those moves," Spike said, "What, are you on steroids or something?"

"No, I just do whatever comes naturally to me," Faith said, smugly

"This started a few months ago?" Spike guessed, "You've had strange dreams? Sense things when you're out at night?"

"Yeah," Faith said, surprised, "How did you…?"

Spike wasn't in the mood to explain Faith's destiny to her.

"I'll tell you tomorrow," Spike sighed

/

Everyone walked back to the car.

"So what do you think?" Spike asked, "Back to Harmony's?"

"No way," Xander said, "I'm not walking away from a zombie hoard to go die of boredom."

"Well what are we supposed to do tonight?" Oz asked

"There's always my house," Faith suggested, "Got a pool and some big-ass speakers. Oh, and my dad's out of town..."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	51. Dead Man's Faith: Part 3

/

/

/

The gang arrived at Faith's house. It was a three-story house in a suspiciously-nice neighborhood, very clean, well-furnished. Faith led them through to the backyard, where the pool was. Xander went ahead and jumped in. Spike began rummaging through the poolside fridge.

"My dad keeps a stash of booze in the kitchen for celebrations," Faith advised

"You sure he's not going to come home tonight?" Spike asked

"Yeah," Faith nodded, "He goes out of town a lot. And works very late."

/

Spike and Oz went to raid Faith's kitchen. Spike took out his cigarettes, offering one to Oz.

"I'm trying to quit," Oz said

"Oh. Good for you."

Spike put the cigarettes away, and opened up the cupboards, finding a bottle of whiskey and a crate of beer.

"So…what's up with you and Maenads?" Oz asked

"Nothing," Spike said, quickly

"Come on, I saw how you reacted," Oz said

Spike sighed.

"It was just after I became a slayer," Spike explained, "There was this school camping trip to Nottingham."

"Isn't that where Robin Hood…?"

"Yeah. Maenads have a thing for wooded areas."

"And you lost a fight with one?"

"No. I was out for a late-night walk, and I came across these three beautiful women drinking wine and sacrificing a baby deer."

"The Maenads?"

"Yep. One of them took a shine to me, she suggested I stay a while, and...there is no way I'm ever telling the rest of that story."

/

A few minutes later, some other Sunnydale high students arrived. There was Willow, Cordelia (both invited by Xander), Amy Madison (invited by Faith), and one male student that Spike didn't recognize.

"Spike, do you know Warren and Amy?" Faith asked

"I've met Amy, but…" Spike looked closer at Warren, "Aren't you the guy who built that nuke in shop-class?"

"That was a low-yield fusion generator!" Warren insisted, "It wasn't going to hurt anyone!"

"Whatever. Want to do shots?"

Warren followed Spike to the poolside table where Faith had stacked some plastic cups. As Warren walked by Willow, he pushed her into the pool. Faith and Amy were the only ones who saw what really happened. They tried to hide their laughter.

/

The next morning…

/

Spike woke up in a surprisingly comfortable bed, seeing Faith lying next to him. He pulled himself up, taking in his surroundings. Faith's room was uncharacteristic of her, very calm and tame. He thought of what he and Faith had gotten up to last night. He remembered doing shots with Warren, then some other stuff had happened, then Faith had asked Spike if he wanted to go play on her Playstation...in her bedroom, then the rest was a blur.

"Mornin', Spike," Faith said

"Did we…?" Spike began

"No," Faith snorted, "I got you back here, then you started crying about someone named Drew."

"Oh," Spike remembered that, feeling embarrassed

"Are you gay or something?" Faith asked

"Dru's short for Drusilla," Spike said, "My ex."

Spike picked his clothes off the ground.

"There's something I gotta do," Spike said, "I'll be back in half an hour."

"Um…alright," Faith was slightly confused; usually she had to order guys to leave the next morning

"If you want something to do, Willow's passed out on the couch," Spike offered

Faith grinned, got up, and grabbed a permanent marker from her bedside table.

/

A short drive later…

/

Spike parked the Desoto outside the mansion, and got out. He walked into the building, to the room where Acathla was. Spike stood in front of the stone statue, trying to think of something to say.

"Dru..." Spike sighed, "I really loved you. The you with the soul, not that monster you were."

Spike began pacing the floors.

"You're dead now, and I have to..."

He tried to think of the right combination of words.

"…I have to accept that," Spike sighed, "Just know I'll never forget you…"

Spike wanted to say her full name, but then realized he didn't know it. All he knew was 'Drusilla'.

"I'll never forget you, Drusilla," Spike finished

/

Spike began to walk out of the room, when there was a flash of light. He ran back in, seeing Acathla activating.

"No, no, no!" Spike yelled

He frantically looked around for the sword that could re-seal Acathla, but then he remembered it was back at the library. Suddenly, Acathla's vortex opened. Spike held out a railroad spike and a stake, ready for anything that would come out at him. Then there was another flash.

Drusilla had come out of Acathla.

/

Spike looked over Drusilla. She stood there, in a feral state, wearing clothes made from demon skin. Her hair was longer and untamed; she wore a necklace with long pointy teeth dangling from it, and carried a weapon that was half-staff half-sword. Upon seeing Spike, Drusilla let out a growl and lunged at him. She pinned him against the wall with her staff, and she shot her head at Spike's neck, biting him. She would have drained him, but then she recognized the taste. She lifted her head up, looking into the slayer's eyes.

"Spike…?"

/

Faith's house…

/

Oz was sitting on the living room floor, doing his morning-meditation. It was one of many methods he was trying to control his werewolf side. Amy was attempting to break his concentration by poking him, to no effect. Xander was in the kitchen, making himself a bacon sandwich. He was trying not to laugh at what Faith had drawn on Willow's face.

"What?" Willow asked

"Nothing…"

There was a loud scream from the bathroom; Warren came running down the stairs, with his nose bleeding. Cordelia followed him down, hastily buttoning her shirt.

"Try that again and you lose an eye, you little creep!" Cordelia growled

Warren ran out of the house before Cordelia could kill him.

/

Then Faith walked into the room, frantically.

"My dad just called," she was out of breath, "He's going to be home in like, five minutes!"

Xander took a look around the kitchen, at the mess they had made last night. Beer cans in the sink, spaghetti on the walls, the freezer burnt out, the graffiti...

"Let's go!" he grabbed Willow

/

The gang exited the house quickly and inconveniently. They managed to get down the road before Faith's father came home. Faith just called him 'dad', but most people just referred to him as Mayor Richard Wilkins.

"Faith!" he called

Faith quickly appeared before him in the foyer.

"Hi dad," she said

He leaned forward.

"Are we alone?" the Mayor asked

"Yep," Faith nodded, "Just kicked everyone out. Should'a seen them scarper."

The Mayor checked to see that was true, then grinned.

"How did it go?" he asked

"Perfect," Faith replied, "We've got Spike Summers right where we want him."

/

Later, at a diner…

/

Oz and Spike had met up for lunch. Spike wanted to tell Oz his problem, but Oz had insisted on telling his story first.

"…but we got out before her dad came home," Oz finished, "So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Oh, it's not much, I mean, after hearing your story, it's just going to sound small in comparison," Spike said, irritated

"Come on, don't be like that," Oz said, "Go on, tell me your story."

"Nah," Spike said, "It's just a little trivial thing. Doesn't matter much."

"No, come on, tell me," Oz insisted

"I went to the mansion," Spike said, "Drusilla's come back from hell."

Oz waited a minute to speak.

"Is she still soulless?" he asked

"No. But completely insane."

"Wasn't she already…?"

"Now she's a different kind of insane. Lived-in-a-hell-dimension insane."

"Oh yeah…"

Oz tried to think of an appropriate question.

"What do you think goes on in there?" he asked

"Mate, I have no idea. And I'm in no hurry to find out."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	52. Band Candy: Part 1

/

/

/

Spike and Giles were in a cemetery, going over the SAT practice test.

"…now, which one is the correct sentence?" Giles asked

"It's C," Spike said, in a bored tone

"That's right," Giles said, "You correctly identified 'them' as the object of the preposition. Well done."

"Hardly worth a 'well done'," Spike muttered, "It's the SAT. At the end of the day, what have I really accomplished?"

Spike got up, taking the book back from Giles. He flipped through it, muttering insults at everything he read. Then he slammed the book shut.

"The people who make up these tests are the worst people ever!" Spike complained, "They can take something as badass as foreshadowing and trivialize it!"

"Spike…" Giles began

"Wonder if they think they're making a difference in the world?" Spike continued, "Because that would just be..."

"Spike!"

"What?"

"Vampire!"

Spike turned around, seeing a vampire about to attack him. Spike staked him with a pencil.

"Do I get points taken off if I do that during the test?" Spike asked

Giles sighed, and began to clean his glasses.

"Spike, I know this may seem trivial now, but the SAT will be very helpful in the future."

"I have no future..."

/

The next day…

/

Spike hadn't stopped complaining about the SAT, even at school.

"…and what is the point of standardized tests anyway?" Spike continued, "It's like a measurement of how much this bloody automaton factory has dulled our minds!"

"What was your original question?" Oz asked

Spike thought for a moment.

"Can I borrow your SAT books?" he asked

"Sure," Oz nodded

"Did you know that Oz had the highest SAT score for a non-graduate?" Willow asked

"Yeah, you told me that twice," Spike said

"Oh. Sorry."

The three of them met up with Xander and Cordelia, and walked across the courtyard.

"I'm actually not worried about the SAT," Cordelia commented, "I do really well on standardized tests."

Spike and Xander gave Cordelia withering looks.

"What? I can't have layers?" she asked

They entered the cafeteria.

"Spike, Snyder!" Willow alerted

Spike ducked back out of the cafeteria. He was back at Sunnydale High thanks to Giles's interference, but on probation. One indiscretion could get him expelled again, with no chance of re-entry. So, to avoid temptation, Spike was avoiding Snyder at all costs. Snyder was taking a similar course of action.

"Alright, chocolate," Xander grinned

Snyder handed him a box.

"It's band candy, you're going to sell it," Snyder informed, in a hoarse tone

"But I'm not in the band," Xander reminded

Snyder dropped boxes into Willow, Cordelia, and Oz's hands.

"Every student has to sell a box," Snyder continued, "And…"

He stopped, letting out a coughing fit. He drank a glass of water.

"…and all proceeds will go to the school's band fund," Snyder finished

"Right, because those stupid hats are so expensive," Cordelia said

"But they go with anything," Oz added

/

Later, the Summers' residence...

/

Giles knocked on the front door. Joyce answered.

"Um, hello," Giles said, "I was just passing through the area, and thought I'd see how you were doing."

"Oh, that's nice," Joyce said

She paused for a moment.

"I just made some tea, can I offer you a cup?"

"Please."

/

Giles walked into the kitchen, following Joyce. She poured out two cups of tea.

"So...how are you?" Joyce asked

"Good," Giles replied, "But a bit tired. I was up late last night, helping Spike study for the SAT."

Joyce dropped two spoonfuls of sugar into her tea.

"That's good to know," Joyce said

Giles could tell that Joyce was trying to avoid addressing the situation.

"He is trying to get his life back in order," Giles said

"I know, but he's never going to stop being the slayer," Joyce said, sadly, "It's like I don't know him anymore. I mean, the other day I was in his room and I found..."

"You do have to factor in that he's also a teenage boy," Giles interrupted, "If you'd gone through my footlocker at the Watcher's Academy, you would have found all sorts of strange things."

"Did you have a journal of things you've killed?" Joyce asked, "Or a stash of weapons?"

"Yes," Giles replied

Joyce looked at Giles, very confused.

"The Academy had an unusual curriculum...but that's not the point. You can't just avoid Spike."

"I know," Joyce sighed

"Why don't we sit down and talk about this? We're both adults, I'm sure we can come to a sensible arrangement."

"Alright."

The two of them moved to the living room, sitting down on the sofa.

"Do you want a candy bar?" Joyce offered, sliding a box to Giles, "Xander came by and sold these to me, for some school thing."

"Well, I suppose one wouldn't hurt..."

/

Spike stayed at the Bronze long enough to establish an alibi, then went to the mansion. Drusilla was doing better, but still much worse than she used to be. She had started tacking up bits of paper on all the walls of the house, scribbling down strange predictions of the future, but described in a way no one would understand. When Spike found her, she was elaborately laying a table in the dining room. She was wearing a plain white dress (Spike had stolen her some clothes from the charity shop), and no shoes.

"Was I supposed to bring dinner?" Spike asked

"You weren't," Drusilla replied, barely acknowledging Spike

She placed a fork down by a plate. She kept adjusting it, trying to get it exactly right…

Then Drusilla screamed and flipped the table on its side. She picked up the tablecloth and tore it to shreds, then smashed several plates, and kicked in her floral display.

"It's all wrong!" she screeched, "It's all wrong!"

Spike dragged Drusilla away from the table before she could hurt herself.

"Dru, calm down," Spike urged

"No!"

Spike couldn't hold her for long; in desperation, he kicked over the tub of pig's blood that he had brought over. It spilt on the ground. Drusilla was distracted from the disorder, and began lapping up the blood. It pained Spike to see her reduced to that.

/

Later…

/

Spike got back to Giles' apartment very late. To his surprise, the door was unlocked, and the lights were still on. Spike went inside, finding Giles sitting on the sofa and watching an old sci-fi movie on TV.

"Hello, Spike," he said

Spike sat down next to him.

"What have you been up to?" Giles asked

"I was at the Bronze with Oz," Spike replied, "We stayed until closing time."

Spike picked up his covers and pillow off the ground.

"Then how did Oz call me from his house an hour ago?"

"Well, uh, because..."

"It doesn't matter," Giles shrugged it off, "I don't mean to get all Gestapo on you."

If Spike had been less tired, he would have picked up on the subtle differences in Giles' accent, how it was less formal.

The Watcher saw the movie had gone to a commercial; he picked up the remote, and changed the channel.

"Listen, I'm going to stay up for a while, so just take my bed for the night, okay?"

"...alright," Spike got up, too tired to care

/

The next day…

/

Oz was walking with Spike back to Giles' apartment. The two of them were kicking a football (UK) around. Oz kicked the ball back to Spike, who trapped it.

"Can't believe Giles didn't show up for study hall," Oz said, "It's not like him."

"He was acting a bit weird last night," Spike said

Oz ran up the steps.

"Hey, between here and here is goal," Oz said

He moved in between the railings at the top of the steps that led to the Giles' apartment. Spike was caught up in his desire to win the game, and gave the ball a powerful kick. The ball slammed into Oz, knocking him down.

"Sorry…" Spike cringed

"It happens…" Oz got back up, staggering around

/

Oz and Spike parted ways. Spike walked up to Giles' apartment, and knocked on the door (he had left his keys inside). It opened slightly, revealing Giles. He had a bar of chocolate tucked away in his trousers.

"Spike," Giles noticed

"Alright, Rupert?" Spike tried to get past him

"Can you come back later?" Giles asked, "I'm kind of in the middle of someone...I mean, something."

"What is it?" Spike asked

Then he realized what was going on.

"You've got a girl in there, haven't you?" Spike grinned

"Yeah, you got me," Giles admitted

"Say no more, I'm out of here," Spike said, walking away from the door, "I take it you'd prefer if I slept over at Oz's tonight?"

"I would very much like that."

/

Giles closed the door, and turned back to Joyce. She took out the bottle of Kahlúa she'd hidden away when Spike knocked at the door.

"Do you think he noticed anything?" Joyce asked

"No way…" Giles replied, lighting up a cigarette

/

Spike had caught up to Oz, and they resumed kicking their football around.

"Giles brought a girl back to his place?" Oz repeated

"Apparently so."

"Is he even allowed to date? I thought Watchers were celibate?"

"That's priests."

Oz kicked the ball, and it went spinning into the streets. Spike went to grab it before a car ran it over.

"So, want to go to the park?" Spike asked

"Shouldn't you be studying for the SAT?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Good point."

/

A factory somewhere in the outskirts of Sunnydale…

/

Workers stood on an assembly line, putting chocolate bars into boxes. It was a very scary environment. One of the workers attempted to sneak a bite out of a chocolate bar. Ethan Rayne stopped him.

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned

/

/

/

To be continued…


	53. Band Candy: Part 2

/

/

/

Giles was lying on the floor of his apartment whilst Joyce browsed through his record collection. Currently, they were listening to Cream's "Tales of Brave Ulysses".

"You've got good albums," Joyce said

"Yeah, they're okay," Giles replied

"Do you like Seals and Croft?"

Giles gave her a withering/confused look.

"Yeah, me neither," Joyce quickly added

Giles handed her one of the cigarettes he'd been lighting up.

"Thanks. So…um, why do they call you Ripper?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Giles muttered

He got up, leaning against the wall.

"You gotta listen to this bit," Giles interrupted

He turned up the volume, and started strumming along with the guitar parts. Then he moved towards his coat rack, throwing off his tweed jacket and shirt.

"Hey, Ripper, do you want to watch TV?" Joyce asked, attempting to impress Giles, "I know how to order pay-per-view."

She said that last part with a bit of smugness, as if it was a rare skill.

"Nah, let's go out," Giles said

He stood in front of a mirror, adjusting his hair.

"We could go to the Bronze?"

"Nah, that place is dead…"

/

Spike and Oz had arrived at the park, and were at their usual spot on the football pitch. They had stopped battling for domination of the ball, Oz was now goal. Spike gave the ball a powerful kick; Oz still caught it.

"Werewolf reflexes beat slayer strength any day," Oz said

"No way, you just got lucky."

Oz shrugged, tossing the ball back to Spike, then made the 'bring-it-on' gesture. Spike headed the ball, trying to get it past Oz. Oz would have caught the ball, if it wasn't for Willow running on to the pitch. Oz got distracted, and the ball hit him in the face.

"Spike!" Willow called

"Yeah?" Spike turned around

"Cordelia and I were just at the Bronze," Willow was out of breath, "People are acting weird."

"How weird?" Spike asked, "They're not having another sixties night, are they?"

"No…you have to see this to believe it," Willow insisted

/

A few minutes later...

/

"You weren't kidding," Spike told Willow

They were at the Bronze. A lot of the adults of Sunnydale were there, partying hard. They were dancing wildly, drinking ridiculous amounts of alcohol, laughing foolishly, and in general acting like...kids.

"Guessing it was sixties night wasn't far-off," Oz said

Spike passed a group of teachers that were shotgunning beers, and then saw a man get up on the stage, scream into the microphone, then dive off the stage and hit the floor.

"Should we call a doctor?" Oz asked

"I think that was my doctor," Willow said, shocked

/

Joyce and Giles were walking through Maple Court, the high street. Giles had changed into a white T-shirt and jeans, with his longsleeve shirt tied around his waist. Joyce was chewing bubblegum, snapping it loudly.

"So, must be pretty exciting being a Watcher," Joyce commented

"Not really. You cold?"

"No, I feel…different. Special. Like everything in the last twenty years, having a kid, being married…was all just some kind of bad dream, now things are the way they're supposed to be."

The two of them came across a vintage clothing store.

"That's cool," Joyce pointed to a black-feathered coat, "Very Juice Newton."

"You like it?" Giles asked

"Yeah, but the store's closed."

Before anyone could stop him, Giles picked up a trash can, and hurled it through the store window. Joyce laughed excitedly. The Watcher then leapt up onto the display, stripped the mannequin of its coat and hat, then handed them to Joyce.

"Oh, wow, Ripper! That was so brave!" Joyce gushed

Suddenly, a policeman appeared in front of them.

"Freeze!" he yelled, lifting up his gun

/

Spike, Oz, and Willow exited the Bronze.

"No one should have to see that," Spike said, rubbing his eyes

"What should we do?" Willow asked, "I mean, what could be causing this?"

"I say we go kick the crap out of Willy until he tells us something," Spike suggested

"There's an easier way to do that," Oz said

/

The three of them sat down on a bench. Oz took out a scrap of paper, and began making notes.

"Usually when something like this happens, it's due to a new element in town," Oz explained

He cited several examples from the past.

"But that could be anything," Spike reminded  
>"Not entirely true," Oz said, "We know that it's only affecting adults, authority figures, people who are usually responsible. Now, what's changed recently that could affect them? Something that could reach all of them and only them?"<p>

"Well, the weather's been getting colder," Willow said

"Think more down to earth," Oz advised

"What about…there was that theft from the grocery store last night?"

"That was me," Spike said

"Maybe something to do with school, like it usually is?" Oz suggested

"Studying for the SATs might have something to do with it," Willow guessed, "The Hellmouth could have been involved."

"Our irresponsibility could have bounced onto the adults," Spike said, "Since we're being all serious and stuff."

"That's possible," Oz said, writing it down

"There's also…the band candy?" Willow suggested

"Yeah," Oz nodded, "The kind of people you sell band candy to are usually older responsible people, anyone whose houses you wouldn't be afraid to go to."

"So…do we look into SATs, or band candy?" Spike asked

Suddenly, there was a loud crash. Two cars had collided that had been drag racing. The drivers got out and began fighting (pathetically). One of them dropped a chocolate bar. Then Oz noticed the abundance of chocolate bar wrappers in the area.

"Definitely the candy," Oz concluded

/

Giles eyed the policeman pointing the weapon at him.

"Ooo, copper's got a gun," Giles taunted, "He's not gonna shoot me…"

"Will so!" the policeman warned

Joyce moved away from Giles. Giles eyed the chocolate bar in the policeman's pocket.

"Ripper, be careful…" Joyce began

Suddenly, Giles shoved the policeman's gun aside, then head-butted him and beat him up. Joyce looked on admirably.

"Told you he'd never use it," Giles said

Giles took the policeman's holster, attached it to his belt, then slid in the gun.

"You are so cool," Joyce gushed, "You're just like Burt Reynolds."

Impulsively, Giles grabbed Joyce, kissing her passionately. Then he leaned her down onto the hood of the police car…

/

Spike found who he was looking for: Principal Snyder. The man was in the Bronze, acting like a complete tit.

"Surprise, surprise…" Spike muttered

Snyder saw Spike, and angrily ran to him.

"Payback time, Summers," Snyder announced

He began to circle around Spike. Spike rolled his eyes.

"I should warn you, I know Tae-Kwan-Do!" Snyder threatened, flailing his hands around

He tried to attack Spike, using pathetic attempts at punching and hitting. Spike casually deflected each of his hits.

"Snyder, where does that candy come from?"

"Why should I tell you, you…jerk-face!"

Spike raised his fist. Oz stopped him.

"I'll give you twenty bucks if you tell us," Oz offered

"Fifty," Snyder insisted

"I only have twenty," Oz said

"Fifty," Snyder repeated

Oz looked to Spike. Spike looked to Willow. She let out a groan.

"Come on, Red, charity begins at home," Spike said

/

Snyder gave them an address on Cemetery Lane. Willow parted with the boys, deciding she should go to the library and do some research. Spike and Oz found the factory, and were checking to see if it was safe to go inside. Spike smoked a cigarette while Oz stood on his shoulders, peeking through the high-up factory window.

"Looks like everyone's jumped ship," Oz said, "There's only one guy inside."

"Human or vampire?"

"Can't quite see."

Spike handed Oz a pair of binoculars. He hoped Oz wouldn't see the label on the side that said "_I am Tara's binoculars, please don't steal me!_".

"Thanks," Oz said

He looked through them, seeing who was in the factory.

"What was the name of that guy who was responsible for Halloween?" Oz asked

"John Carpenter?"

"No, I mean from last Halloween. Costume guy?"

"Ethan Rayne's here?" Spike asked

Oz got down off Spike.

"Yeah. He's in there."

While it wasn't the best news, Spike was relieved that it _was_ Ethan Rayne, and not a dangerous unknown enemy.

"What's he doing?" Spike asked

"He's just...sitting there," Oz said, "Like he's waiting for someone."

/

The gang was about to enter the factory, when Joyce and Giles walked by them.

"Hi guys," Joyce smiled, "Out on patrol?"

Spike looked over Joyce; obviously stolen coat, hair and clothes disheveled, slightly drunk, possibly stoned.

"Mum, what the hell are you doing?" Spike asked

"Hey, back off, mate," Giles warned, stepping in front of Joyce

Spike slammed his fist into Giles' face and sent him staggering around.

"Spike!" Joyce whined, "Not cool!"

Then Joyce noticed on the factory loading dock, they were tossing out candy bars to the masses.

"Hey, they're giving out free candy," she smiled, "You want some candy?"

"No!" Spike gritted his teeth in frustration, "We're in the middle of something important!"

"Well Sorreeeee!" Joyce rolled her eyes at Spike, "God, Mr. Killjoy over here or what?"

Giles regained his balance; he tried to punch Spike, but Spike ducked and slammed into a wall.

"The candy's affecting everyone's minds," Spike explained, "We have to find out what's causing it."

"And then I'll kick its teeth in," Giles asserted

"Oh, I am so watching that!" Joyce insisted

/

Spike kicked down the factory door, and ran inside. He found empty chocolate boxes lying around, machines abandoned, and Ethan Rayne waiting by the exit.

"Hm, thought it would take you longer to figure this out," Ethan said

Spike walked up to Ethan.

"Alright Spike?" he asked

Spike stood right in front of Ethan Rayne, trying to intimidate him.

"You gonna tell us who hired you?" Spike asked

"Nope," Ethan shook his head

Before Spike could issue a threat, Giles had his forearm pressing against Ethan's neck, keeping him stationary whilst Giles hit him. Even though it was painful, Ethan was glad that 'Ripper' was back.

"Haven't done this in a while!" Ethan grinned, "Then again, that's not the only thing we haven't done in a while..."

Giles hit him even harder so Joyce wouldn't get the wrong idea.

"You gonna bloody tell us what we want or what?" Giles asked

He took out the policeman's gun.

"Okay!" Ethan held up his hands up in surrender, "Some guy named Trick hired me. Said he needed a good distraction."

"What for?" Ripper demanded

"Something about collecting a tribute from the hospital. That's all they told me."

Spike pulled Giles away from Ethan before he could do something.

"What could they want from the hospital?" Joyce asked

"Drugs?" Spike suggested, "Trick could be a pill-popper."

"What if it's something mystical?" Oz asked, "Or it could be someone?"

"Probably just some sacrifice," Ethan said, "Some unlucky coma-guy."

"They wouldn't have gone to this much trouble for one guy," Spike said, "They need something closely guarded, something adults wouldn't take their eyes off of, something they'd..."

He and Ethan realized it at the same time.

"I didn't think of that..." Ethan said, weakly

/

Sunnydale General Hospital…

/

Four vampires entered the hospital, unnoticed. The place was mostly deserted, aside from the patients who couldn't get out of bed and the nurses who were watching TV. They were too engrossed in it to see what was going on. The vampires easily got into the maternity ward, in the same room as the newborn babies.

"These four will do," the group leader said

Each vampire reached down, and snatched a baby from a crib.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	54. Band Candy: Part 3

/

/

/

The Factory…

/

Spike was on the phone to Willow in the library.

"It's called Lurconis," Spike said, "Spelt…"

He looked over to Ethan Rayne, who wrote the spelling down on the wall.

"L-U-R-C-O-N-I-S," Spike spelt

"Tell her he's a snake demon," Ethan added

"Snake demon," Spike said

"Is that Willow? Ask if she wants to…" Joyce began

"Not now, Mum!" Spike yelled

Joyce made a face at Spike, and sat down next to Ripper.

"Um, I think I've found it," Willow said, "Lurconis, an ancient snake demon. Dwells underground, of course, and…"

Then Willow read a particularly disturbing sentence.

"…oh," she croaked, "He eats babies."

Spike covered the phone.

"It's what we feared," he said

Ethan kicked the wall in anger.

"I swear I didn't know this!" he insisted

"Willow, what does it say about this guy?" Spike asked, "How did I kill him? How do I find him?"

"Uh…he dwells underground," Willow said

"Underground…the sewers!" Spike realized, "Remember? First day in Sunnydale, I said '_this has got to be the cleanest, most spacious sewer I've ever been in_'., then you said '_Vampires have quite an easy time getting around this town_', then I said…!"

"We get it," Oz interrupted

/

Down in the suspiciously-spacious sewers…

/

The four vampires, Mr. Trick, and the Mayor were down in the sewers. The vampires prepared the babies for sacrifice, chanting an ancient incantation and marking them with blood. The Mayor was on his cell phone.

"Yeah, Faith, can you remind me to call the Department of Sewer Maintenance?" he asked, "We really need to do something about the sanitation down here."

He paused.

"Did Amy's father say it was alright?" he asked

Another pause.

"Then it's alright with me. But don't stay up too late, okay?"

/

Spike, Giles, Oz, and Joyce entered the sewer. Spike was ahead of everyone else; he was able to get around the sewers quicker, thanks to his slayer-agility. He saw the four minion vampires, plus Mr. Trick. The Mayor sensed Spike's presence, and hopped out of sight.

"Get him!" Trick ordered

The vampires ran towards Spike. He also started charging towards them; he thrust his palm into one vampire's chest, sending him flying into a small pool of water that sat before a sewer pipe. Then suddenly, there was a loud growl, and a rumble. Everyone turned to the sewer pipe. A large serpent-creature emerged out of the sewer, and consumed the vampire. Joyce, Giles, and Oz arrived in time to see that.

"Get the babies out of here!" Spike ordered

Joyce ran to the trolley that the babies were on, and moved it from Lurconis' sewer pipe with Oz's help. Spike continued fighting off the vampires, Giles helped. Spike dusted two vampires, then Trick stepped forward to fight him.

"Ordinarily, I like other people to do my fighting for me," Trick said, "But I just gotta see what you got."

"Fine," Spike replied, "But I should warn you, I grew up on a council estate."

"No you didn't!" Joyce said, still mad at Spike for yelling at her

"Mum!" Spike groaned

Trick raised his fists; Spike grabbed him by the tie, yanked him forward, then slammed his forehead into Trick's nose. He would have staked Trick, but then the vampire Giles was fighting kicked him into the pool of water before Lurconis.

"Ripper!" Joyce gasped

Oz quickly ran to get him out; he pulled him up, but then Lurconis resurged.

"The gas pipe!" Giles yelled, pointing up

Spike looked up, and grabbed the pipe above him. He lit the stream with his lighter, and blasted Lurconis with fire. The demon screamed, and its scales began to melt from the sheer heat. It retreated into the sewers to die.

/

Mr. Trick escaped through the sewer hatch.

"Until next time, slayer!" he warned

He slammed the cover over the sewer hatch.

"What is it with vampires and always having to have the last word?" Oz asked

Spike slumped down against the wall, feeling worn out.

"I hope I never see another snake demon as long as I live," he said

He took out a cigarette. Ripper lit it for him.

"And I don't know how I'm going to handle the SATs tomorrow," Spike said

"Oh, just blow them off," Joyce sighed, "I'll write you a note."

/

The next day…

/

The effects of the candy had worn off, but things were far from back to normal. There was an aura of awkwardness about town, many of the adults unable to look each other in the eye, kids unable to take their parents or authority figures seriously.

/

Oz, Willow, and Xander stood by their lockers, discussing their parents' indiscretions.

"I really should have showed dad how to delete internet history when I had the chance," Willow sighed

"Mine broke the suspension on my van," Oz said

"Dad opened one of my mint-condition action figures," Xander complained

Principal Snyder walked up to the three.

"You've just all volunteered yourselves to clean up that mess," he said, pointing to some graffiti that said 'KISS Rocks'

"Why would anyone wanna kiss…oh," Willow understood it

"I'll go get you some paint stripper," Snyder said

Everyone resigned themselves to their fate. They knew with Spike under academic probation, they couldn't rely on him to defend them from Snyder. They would just have to suffer his wrath, accept that life in school was unfair, and they couldn't change that.

/

Snyder started to walk away, when he bumped into Cordelia.

"Ah, Ms. Chase, just in time to help everyone clean up," Snyder sneered

"Uh, yeah, as if," Cordelia sneered, "You want it cleaned, do it up yourself."

Snyder fumed.

"You, have just bought yourself Saturday detention," he growled

"Fine," Cordelia's voice was dangerously sweet, "But I'll be a little late. I have to drop this off at the police station."

She reached into her purse, taking out a large photo. It was a screen-grab from a security camera, clearly showing Snyder grabbing Cordelia's rear end, with a lecherous grin on his face.

"I used to date the guy who watches the security cameras at the Bronze," Cordelia said, "Unfortunately for you, we parted on good terms."

Cordelia looked down at Snyder. He felt even smaller than usual.

"And if you think that's bad, just remember this," Cordelia grinned, "I'm under eighteen, so the police would classify you as a…"

"Um, uh, never mind that detention," Snyder stammered

"I thought so," Cordelia said

She tucked away the photo.

"Now, I think you should clean up that graffiti yourself, then when you're done, you can wash my car," Cordelia continued, "Two coats of wax, okay? And don't try only putting only one coat on, because I'll know."

She then pushed past Snyder, and mouthed "you're welcome" to Xander.

/

Out of town…

/

The Gas & Go was an abandoned gas station in the outskirts of Sunnydale, on the edge of the desert where the vegetation had thinned out. Ethan Rayne sat on the hood of his car (a maroon 1950 Ford Convertible, very worn out), drinking a beer. Though he was shielded from the sun by the gas station roof, the convectional heat was still very hot.

/

Spike drove up in the Desoto. He got out, and realized how hot it was. The slayer tossed his coat onto the car roof; underneath he had on a black long-sleeved shirt. The heat was so powerful, so surreal. Spike was relieved to get under the shade of the gas station, with Ethan.

"Thanks for meeting me here," Ethan said

"No problem."

Spike tugged at the collar of his shirt, which was beginning to cling to him.

"Do you have anything to…?" Spike started to ask

Then he saw Ethan's outstretched hand offering him a beer.

"Thanks," Spike said

He twisted the top off.

"Why don't you join me?" Ethan suggested

Spike got up on the car hood.

"So how are Rupert and your mum doing?" Ethan asked

"They're both back to normal," Spike said, "Bit embarrassed, but alright."

"That's very good to know," Ethan said, "And...again, I didn't know that the babies were..."

"It's cool. No harm done."

The two of them silently drank, in the short uncomfortable silence.

"So was that really what Giles was like as a teenager?" Spike asked  
>"Oh yes," Ethan nodded, "He was incredible. Could have been great, but he threw it away to go back to his precious council."<p>

A thought occured to Spike.

"Did _you_ ever think of joining the council?" he asked

Ethan sighed.

"The council's many things, but modern isn't one of them," he admitted, "They wouldn't accept a factory worker's son from Manchester, no matter how good a warlock he is."

"And that's what you are?" Spike asked, "A warlock?"

"Not a fan of labels, but yeah, I suppose."

Spike saw this as an opportunity to gather information.

"Do you know anything about hell dimensions?" he asked

"A bit. What do you want to know?"

"What are they…like?"

"It depends, really. There's a few ironic hells, like you're in a casino but you can't loose, or you're surrounded by your favorite foods but they're too out-of-reach."

"Like in The Twilight Zone," Spike said

"I prefer The Outer Limits," Ethan said, "Anyway, most of them are the classic hells, fire and brimstone and all that, torture and torment. And the thing is, time moves faster there, so a few months in there could be years out here."

"Oh," that last part worried Spike

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

Ethan saw through Spike's lie.

"You accidentally sent your ex to hell, didn't you?" he asked

Spike's jaw dropped.

"Yeah, how did you...?"

"It was a trick we used to do it in the old days. It stopped being fun after nationalist-demons used us an excuse for closing their portals."

/

Giles' Apartment…

/

Joyce knocked on the door, and Giles answered.

"Oh…hello," he said, avoiding Joyce's eye

"Hi," Joyce replied, "Um, you left some stuff at my place."

She handed him a paper bag. Giles looked inside, seeing his boxers and a Zippo lighter inside.

"Oh…yes, I wondered where those were," Giles muttered, embarrassed

"Also, um…is Spike here?"

"He had to go meet someone. Could I take a message?"

"Just tell him…tell him he can come home."

/

The desert…

/

"…I didn't want to follow in my father's footsteps, and I didn't feel like wasting away my life owning a magic shop," Ethan continued, "So I did the only thing I could, packed up my books and left home. I've been drifting around ever since."

"Do you ever take jobs that don't involve chaos?" Spike asked

"Can't, really," Ethan admitted, "Chaos is all I can do. But if I'm low on petrol and not feeling chaotic, I just trade some stuff."

"Like what?"

/

Ethan opened up his trunk, revealing a stash of mystical artifacts and books, the likes of which Spike had never seen before.

"This is incredible," Spike said

"I know," Ethan said, "I try to keep it organized…"

"Organized chaos?" Spike grinned

"Oh ha-ha," Ethan said sarcastically, "Anyway, I keep the charms here, books here, ancient artifacts here, and then this is the miscellaneous section."

/

Ethan showed Spike some of the more interesting items he carried with him, then closed the trunk.

"It was good catching up, Spike, but I have to go," Ethan said, "Got a job a few states over."

"Alright. Good seeing you."

Ethan got into his car.

"Oh, almost forgot," he said

Ethan reached into the glove box, and took out a small prescription pill bottle, with one pill in it. He tossed it to Spike.

"Little present. If you take this, it gives you an hour of above-average strength and speed," Ethan explained

"When would I need that?" Spike asked, knowing that his slayer powers already gave him that

Ethan suddenly became very serious.

"Trust me, Spike. One day you _will_ need this…"

/

/

/

To be continued…


	55. Lovers Walk: Part 1

/

/

/

Willow and Xander were walking across the school campus, discussing their SAT scores.

"This is a nightmare! My entire world is collapsing!" Willow cried

"Willow, It's not that bad," Xander said

"A 740 Verbal?" Willow asked, "I'm an idiot! I'm Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel!"

"Right, because your 740 Verbal score closely resembling my combined score really compromises my position as village idiot," Xander reminded

Xander folded up her SAT score.

"You did brilliant Willow, like you always do," he said, kissing her

Willow felt a little better.

/

The two of them sat down on a bench. Cordelia and Spike joined them.

"You guys get your scores yet?" Cordelia asked

"Oh yeah, Willow failed miserably," Xander said

"Xander!" Willow squeaked

"How did you do?" Xander asked

He yanked Cordelia's test score away from her, and read it.

"Wow," Xander said, "I didn't know you were smart."

"Don't worry, I have a lot of experience in covering that up," Cordelia said

/

The gang went their separate ways. Xander headed to the library, Spike and Cordelia went to Spike's car, and Willow and Oz went behind the bleachers. Oz began to kiss Willow, but she stopped him.

"Um, Oz, I didn't want to come here to make out," Willow admitted  
>"Oh. Then why are we here?"<p>

"We n-need to talk," she said, "I've been doing some, uh, thinking lately, and, um, I now know what I want."

Oz knew this had been coming. Willow had been avoiding him for some time.

"You've chosen Xander," Oz said

"You're not mad, are you?"

"No. I'm glad you made your choice," Oz said

Willow was relieved. She had been afraid that Oz would react badly, that he would suddenly unleash all his supposed pent-up rage at her.

"So, will you be okay?"

"I'll get over it," Oz said, "I mean, no point in complaining about something I can't change."

Willow could see past Oz's calm veneer to his inner suffering; to everyone else, he looked calm, but to Willow, he might as well be on the floor crying.

"I'm sorry," Willow said, "I just…this is what I…"

"It's alright, really."

"Can we still be friends?"

"I...don't think so," Oz said, frankly

/

Xander walked to the library, to meet up with Giles.

"Ah, Xander," Giles stepped down off the book-ladder

"Hey Giles," Xander said

"I finished that book you leant me," Giles said

He picked up a copy of Watchmen, and handed it to Xander. A week ago, when they had been re-stringing crossbows together, Giles had accidentally agreed to read it.

"Did you like it?" Xander asked

"I did, I suppose," Giles admitted, "Its intricacies were rather enjoyable."

"Too bad the guys who grade the essay question of the SAT didn't think so."

"You got your results back?" Giles asked

"Yep," Xander sighed

He handed Giles his results. Giles looked over them.

"Pathetic, right?" Xander asked

"Not really. I know that in the case of subjects you're passionate about, you can become very creative."

"Too bad all I'm 'passionate' about is James Bond films and nerd stuff," Xander said, in a depreciatory tone

"You also kill vampires very well," Giles reminded, "Xander, have you given any thought to what you'll do after high school?"

"Yeah, but unless there's a school out there that offers a slaying scholarship…"

"There is," Giles said, "The Watchers' academy."

"The what now?" Xander asked

/

Giles went on to explain to Xander that in addition to employing researchers, the Watchers council also employed people to deal with demon uprisings and vampire conspiracies, similar to the Scooby gang's activities except on a global scale. Giles also told Xander that while the council was usually reluctant to accept 'outsiders', Xander's military training and demon hunting skills might impress them enough to let him in. He even showed Xander some pictures of the Academy, in England. Xander thought about his future prospects, the colleges he couldn't afford or get into, the jobs he wouldn't be qualified for. Would he get a better offer from anything besides the Watchers' academy?

"Do I have to decide right away?" Xander asked

"Take some time to think it over," Giles advised

Xander started to leave.

"By the way, do you the next volume of Watchmen?" Giles asked, "And if so, could I borrow it?"

"This is all there is," Xander held up the book

Giles was shocked.

"Seriously?" he gasped, "But…but, Rorschach's journal, Dr. Manhattan leaving behind every…? That's how it ends?"

"Nothing ends, Giles," Xander said, "Nothing ever ends."

/

Spike and Cordelia were walking to the parking lot. Spike had agreed to give Cordelia a ride home. According to Cordelia, her parents were going to buy her a brand new car, but had accidentally gotten rid of her old one _before_ the new one had arrived. Again, according to Cordelia, that's what the situation was.

"I'm so going to send this out right away," Cordelia said, referring to her SAT scores, "I want to get accepted into college, then I'm never returning."

"Not even to gloat?" Spike asked

"Well, when I'm rich and famous I might stop by and see how the rest of you are doing."

"Let me save you the trouble," Spike said, "Chances are, I'll be dead, Oz will be living out of his van, and Willow'll be raising a whiny child from some father she doesn't know."

Cordelia smirked at Spike's black-comedy; it was funny because it was so unlikely.

"In that case I'm definitely staying away," she said, "I mean, who in their right mind would come back _here_?"

/

Later…

/

A car roared through the streets of Sunnydale, crashing into the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign. It screeched to halt. The door opened, and Buffy came falling out of it, followed by several empty Styrofoam coffee cups and cookie wrappers. She wasn't sure what she'd hit (she was turning on the radio at the time). Then Buffy looked up at the Sunnydale sign she had just run over.

"Oops…"

/

The Mansion…

/

Spike and Drusilla were in one of the mansion's living rooms, watching a movie. It was a French film, one that Drusilla had wanted to see. A lot of screen time was given to explicit scenes. When the film was over, Drusilla turned to Spike.

"Spike?" she asked

"Yeah?"

"I'm very grateful that you've waited with me, since I got back from that horrible place."

"I know."

"And I appreciate you giving me time to recover, being slow and gentle."

"What's your point, Dru?"

"I think...I think I'm ready to resume our preferred speed."

/

Excitedly, the two of them got up off the sofa, kissing and undressing. They made their way to the bedroom, collapsing onto Drusilla's bed, which was covered in pieces of paper that she had written predictions on. The two of them got completely undressed, and began going at it. It was going extremely well, but then…

"Get off!" Drusilla screeched

She kicked Spike off of her. Spike fell on the floor, and hit his head on the wall.

"Dru, what the hell?" he groaned, rubbing the back of his head

"That was unfortunate," she said, "Something in my head called to me."

"Are we in danger?"

Drusilla looked around, checking her surroundings.

"No. Must have been a false alarm."

/

The two of them resumed their carnal activity, managing to get back into the rhythm. It was just getting good again, when Drusilla had another psychic warning and kicked Spike in the stomach. On instinct he fought back, punching Drusilla in the face. Once the proverbial smoke cleared, they both felt rather stupid.

/

The kitchen…

/

The two of them had hastily gotten dressed (Drusilla in Spike's red shirt, Spike in Drusilla's short pink robe) and were treating their injuries. Drusilla held an ice pack over her eye, Spike stood over the sink in case he threw up again.

"And that was one of your psychic things?" Spike asked

"Yes," Drusilla replied, still angry with Spike for hitting her

"Well what did it mean?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I get ambiguous warnings, they tell me to stop doing what I'm doing."

"So, what, we're not allowed to have sex?" Spike asked

"For the time being, we'll have to keep our hands to ourselves."

The two of them came to terms with what Drusilla had just said. They avoided each others' eyes.

"I should go…" Spike said

"No, stay," Drusilla said, "You went to the trouble of weaving a crafty lie for your mother, you should stay the night. We don't need our inside and outside parts to have a good time."

"Alright."

Awkward silence.

"I'm going to do some sewing," Drusilla said

"I think I'll go sharpen my large stake," Spike said

Drusilla rolled her eyes, shaking her head and sighing.

"Please, try and be civil."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, taking his stake and knife out of his coat

"Oh…never mind."

/

The Summers' house…

/

Joyce was in the kitchen, cooking dinner for herself. She tried to enjoy being by herself, just her and some pleasant voices on the radio, a nice dinner on the way…

Then the front doorbell rang.

"Oh thank god…" Joyce was so relieved something was going to happen

She opened the door, finding Willow standing there.

"Hi Joyce," Willow said, nervously

"Hi Willow," Joyce replied, "If you're looking for Spike, he's with Oz."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you," Willow said

"Alright…what's wrong?"

/

Joyce brought Willow into the kitchen.

"So, what's bothering you?" Joyce asked

"I think I hurt someone," Willow said

"Like a vampire, or a bully...?"

"I mean emotionally."

Willow told Joyce about her Oz-Xander-Willow love triangle. Joyce was quite surprised by the girl's actions.

"Goodness, Willow Rosenberg, you've been holding out on me," Joyce exhaled

"Sorry to unload," Willow admitted

"It's alright."

"So what should I do?"

"Well…Willow, I'm happy to help you, but don't you think you might want to discuss this with someone closer to your own age?"

"Well, I've tried talking to Cordelia," Willow admitted

Joyce turned around to switch on the stove and make some cocoa; at that point, her back and Willow's back were turned away from the door.

"But she's not really great at keeping secrets," Willow continued

"Yeah, there's a girl like that in every high school," Joyce said

"She's okay for some things, and Spike and Xander are fun, but I don't really have a girlfriend. I really wish I could have someone to do girl-stuff with."

Then suddenly, Buffy clamped her hand over Willow's mouth, and gripped her tight. Willow saw the vampire's yellow eyes and fangs; she looked hungry.

"I'm here…" Buffy grinned

/

/

/

To be continued…


	56. Lovers Walk: Part 2

**A/N: I accidentally had Joyce mention Spike being with Drusilla when I first uploaded the last chapter. I changed it almost right away, but just in case you read it when I first uploaded it, it's been changed it to "Spike's with Oz".**

**Also, this is another chapter that's mostly just dialogue. I'll try and put a large fight scene or something in the next one.**

/

/

/

Willow and Buffy were sitting on the living room sofa, watching a movie whilst Buffy braided Willow's hair.

"…and Spike said, _"Why the hell not?"_," Willow said, trying not to laugh, "And by this point, Giles has seen the hole in the wall, and he's really mad at him."

"What happened next?" Buffy laughed

"He gave Spike this look," Willow mimed something with her hands, moving them in front of her eyes, "And yelled _"Because this is not Blake's 7 and you are not Avon!"_"

Buffy tried to understand the joke.

"I don't get it," she admitted

"Oh, neither did I," Willow assured, "But it's just the way he said it, like he was about to explode with anger."

Joyce stuck her head out of the kitchen.

"Popcorn's ready!" she announced

Buffy and Willow eagerly raced to the kitchen, sitting down at the counter. Joyce placed a large bowl of popcorn down in front of them.

"So Buffy, how long are you in town for?" Joyce asked

"Not sure yet," Buffy said, "Think I might stick around. They've got some great vacant crypts in this neighborhood."

"A crypt?" Joyce asked

"Yeah, for the time being. Hopefully Spike and I can get a place together once he starts college…"

/

Then the front door opened and slammed shut. Spike walked in, letting out an annoyed groan, then threw himself down on the sofa. He closed his eyes, wanting to get a moment's peace, no vampires, demons, or Top-40 music.

"Spike, is that you?" Joyce asked

"Yeah," Spike replied

"Come see who's here," Joyce said

Spike got up, and walked to the kitchen.

"Buffy," he gasped

"Spike!"

Buffy stood up, smiling widely, presenting herself to Spike.

"I'm back," she announced

Spike wasn't so pleased to see Buffy; she couldn't have come at a worse time. And what was she doing with Joyce and Willow?

"I…thought you said we needed time apart?" Spike asked

"Yeah, and it's been way too long," Buffy said, "I did my world tour, but now I think we've both gotten to a good place in our lives. Your mom told me you did really good on the SAT?"

"Yeah…"

"That's great! And guess what? I didn't kill anything while we were apart," Buffy added, "Well, I fed, but only when I was hungry. And not 'gee, sure could go for a blood right now' hungry, but like 'crossing the desert' hungry."

"That's good…"

Buffy turned around.

"I hate to ditch on our girls' night, but would you mind if Spike and I took a walk?" Buffy asked

"No, go right ahead," Joyce said

"Yeah, go on," Willow said

Willow wanted to encourage a Spike-and-Buffy relationship. It was fine if Spike wanted to date a vampire, but she'd rather it was someone stable and nice, instead of…Drusilla.

/

Buffy and Spike left the Summers' house, walking down the road. Buffy told Spike about what she had gotten up to in their time apart, the countries she'd visited, the people she'd met, but Spike didn't really pay attention. They made it to the local park, and sat down on the swings.

"…and then I came across this slimy antler-demon-thing in South America," Buffy explained, "He begged me to stay, live with him in his mansion, but I turned him down."

Spike began to smoke. He needed it to clear his head.

"So how are your friends?" Buffy asked, "I mean, I heard about Oz and Willow breaking up…"

"They broke up?" Spike asked

"Uh huh. Willow chose Xander, which I don't quite get because as cute as Xander is, Oz is so much more…interesting. I mean, he's a guitarist and a werewolf, how many of those do you meet?"

"There's…"

"Oh! Did you go to LA? Was it nice?"

"Not really. Only meant to go for a week, tops, ended up staying for three months."

"What about...?"

"Buffy, we need to talk."

"Oh, definitely," Buffy agreed, "But I want to go first."

She cleared her throat.

"I know this is unconventional, you and me," Buffy explained, "But, it's not so abnormal. I won't age, but you're not going to get much older, so we complement each other. Average slayer lifespan is...eighteen? But since you're really good, you could probably live another five years, which I can do, go five years without a kill. And although it's a pipe dream, I'm kind of hoping it'll be longer."

"Buffy, Drusilla's back," Spike blurted out

"Oh," Buffy was perplexed, "Um…how did that happen?"

"Wish I knew. She just showed up out of the hell dimension, looking mega-feral."

"So…are you two still together?"

Spike wasn't sure what to say. He had never been in a situation like this before…in fact, no one had been in a situation like this before.

"We're going through a rough patch, but yeah, we're together," Spike admitted, "And we'll probably…stay together."

Buffy was totally thrown off-guard. She thought at the worst, she'd come back and find Spike having a cheap fling with a cheap high school girl, someone he could easily dump, but this was a serious relationship. Worse, it was with Drusilla.

"I should go," Spike said

As he started to leave, Buffy swung backwards, then forwards and kicked Spike in the base of his spine. He howled and fell to the ground.

"I should go?" Buffy repeated, angrily, "I should go?"

She kicked him again, this time in his midsection.

"I've spent the last year of my life living by your stupid moral code, and what did it get me? You ditch me for my _sire_, the one who ripped out your heart and stamped on it?"

Spike attempted to get back up, but then Buffy held the sharp heel of her boot over his throat.

"Don't try it," Buffy warned

Spike held his position.

"Your way is no fun," Buffy said, "So you know what? I'm going back to doing things how Angelus taught me."

She kicked Spike in the face, stunning him long enough for her to disappear into the night.

/

The next morning…

/

Sunnydale Golf Club…

/

The Mayor and Faith sat at their usual table in the golf club, eating brunch. Faith had on a pink floral-print dress and brown cardigan, the Mayor was wearing his golf shirt.

"…and then the duck says, 'put it on my bill'," the Mayor finished

Faith laughed lightly. A waiter walked up to them.

"Message from the deputy mayor, sir."

"Thank you."

The Mayor looked at the message.

"What is it, dad?" Faith asked

"Apparently, Buffy's back in town," The Mayor said

"Who's Buffy?" Faith asked

"A very resourceful vampire," The Mayor informed, "She was here last year, with that Angelus guy. Cute couple in their own way, I enjoyed following their antics."

"So what's she doing here?" Faith asked

"Not sure. And as much as I'm dying to know, we can't have her getting in the way at this stage. I'm going to assemble a team to eradicate her. By the time they're done, she'll be nothing but a speck of dust."

The Mayor had a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, speaking of dust, did you finish cleaning your room?" he asked

/

Sunnydale High, the library…

/

Spike and Giles were engaging in an unusual afterschool training session. Spike was blindfolded, tied to a chair, and hooked up to a medium-sized battery. In front of him was a chess board, he was playing a game with Giles. Oz and Cordelia were watching.

"Knight to D4," Spike said

"Invalid move," Giles informed

He flicked a switch on the side of the table, giving Spike an electric shock. Spike tensed up, gritting his teeth.

"What's the point of this?" Cordelia asked

"I think he's trying to teach Spike to notice when someone's secretly making fun of him," Oz guessed

"Come on, Spike, try a maneuver," Giles urged

"Uh…rook one to C3?" Spike attempted

Giles moved the piece for him.

"Can we quit now?" Spike asked, worn out

"No."

Giles moved a piece on the board. Then Cordelia let out a laugh, the same kind of laugh she used to use when a girl would walk into school wearing the same outfit she had worn previously in the week.

"What?" Giles asked

"Nothing," Cordelia lied

Giles turned back to the game.

"Your move," Giles said

"Pawn three to your queen," Spike said, in a sudden show of confidence, "Checkmate."

/

Suddenly, Xander burst into the room. He was in a hurry, looking very alarmed. This wasn't funny 'clumsy-in-a-hurry-screams-like-a-woman' Xander, he was genuinely disturbed.

"What's up?" Oz asked

"Has anyone seen Willow?" Xander asked, "Did she sleep over at anyone's house last night? Are you hiding her for some reason?"

"I haven't seen her since she left my house last night," Spike said

Cordelia and Oz didn't say anything, since they didn't hadn't seen Willow since the end of the school day.

"I just talked to her mom," Xander said, "Willow didn't come home last night."

Spike immediately went for the weapons cabinet, grabbing a sword and an axe.

"Spike, don't be hasty," Giles urged

"Yeah, there's..." Xander attempted

"What, don't hastily maim, torture, and kill every vampire in Sunnydale?" Spike asked

"Just stop and think about this. Acting rashly could be very dangerous."

"He's right," Oz backed Giles up

Spike dropped the weapons on the table in a show of reluctance and stubbornness.

"But there's..." Xander began

"So what? We go investigate?" Spike asked

"There was a note!" Xander said, desperate to get his message across, "It said "I've got Willow. Meet me where we first kissed if you ever want to see her again"."

Spike groaned.

"You know something, Spike?" Xander asked

"Buffy's back in town," Spike informed

"How did you…?" Xander started

"I'll explain later," Spike said, "We need to focus on finding Willow. Chances are, Buffy's kept her alive."

Giles then had an idea. He looked over to the gang.

"When's your time of the month?" he asked

"Excuse me?" Cordelia exclaimed

"Not you!"

"My transformations start tomorrow," Oz said, referring to his lycanthropy

"I trust your senses are acting up?" Giles asked, "Enhanced smell, hearing?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Xander, take Oz's van, drive him around town and see if he can pick up Willow's scent," Giles instructed, "Cordelia, go with them, you might be of use."

"Okay," Cordelia didn't really want to go, and she was slightly insulted by being told she might be 'of use', but it was better than going home

/

Xander, Oz, and Cordelia left.

"You want me to go meet with Buffy, buy you some time?" Spike asked

Then Spike saw Giles' expression change to one of anger.

"You kissed Buffy," he stated

"One time…she kissed me."

"The note said 'first kiss'," Giles said, "What happened between you two?"

Spike sighed.

"We had a thing, okay?" Spike admitted, "But I'm not a traitor. She gave me information about what Angelus was up to."

"You never thought of mentioning this to me?"

"Giles…"

"What else are you keeping from me Spike?" Giles demanded

"Nothing!" Spike insisted

Except that he wasn't actually from Manchester, he knew what had happened to Giles' bottle of premium scotch, and that there was currently a second Slayer in Sunnydale.

/

/

/

To be continued…

**A/N: The electric chess game has no real significance. I just really wanted to show an unusual training session.**


	57. Lovers Walk: Part 3

**A/N: I know the last couple of chapters have been...sub-par. I was going through a bit of a rough point in my life when I wrote them (nothing serious, just kinda rough). Anyway, now that I've got my life in order, I'm hoping I can return to a better standard of writing.**

/

/

/

The Factory (where Angelus and Buffy used to live)…

/

Willow woke up in the basement of the building, with Buffy standing in front of her.

"Hi," she said

Willow tried to remember how she had gotten there. She remembered being in her bedroom, about to go to bed, then Buffy had showed up, and...then things went dark.

"What am I doing here?" Willow asked

"Well, I was at your house last night. Thought about siring you and setting you on Spike, but then..."

Buffy produced a small wooden chest and some old books from behind her. It was Willow's magic stash.

"...I found these in your room," Buffy continued, "So you're a witch now?"

"Um, yeah, I try to be."

"Good. I need you to do a love spell."

"I don't like to do that kind of stuff…" Willow began

"Willow, we can do this the easy way, or I can get out my ex-boyfriend's toys," Buffy informed, in her normal affable tone

She pointed to a scary-looking set of knives that hung on the wall.

"I'll start with this one," Buffy warned, taking down a knife

"You can't!"

"Oh yes I can."

"No, really, you can't start with that one," Willow said, "It's poison-tipped. You'd **finish** with it."

"Oh. Well what about this one?" Buffy picked up a different knife

"That could work."

"So, you'll do it?"

"Well, uh, I can try," Willow said, trying to remain calm, "W-who's the target?"

"Spike. I want him to dump Drusilla and be with me."

Willow was struck with fear.

"Oh God, Drusilla's back?"

"Yep. Spike didn't tell you?"

Willow took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"You want Spike to ditch Drusilla and go to you?" Willow recapped

"Uh huh."

Willow was okay with doing that.

"I'll do it, but I might need new ingredients," she said

Willow looked in the wooden chest, and rummaged through the magical items.

"Nope. I'm good. Well, canary feathers are usually preferred, but I can make do with ravens'."

"Good," Buffy got up, "But remember, if I come back and that spell hasn't been done, there's going to be trouble…"

/

Xander drove the van out of the parking lot; Oz had his head stuck out of the window, trying to fine-tune his senses.

"Can you really pick up her scent?" Cordelia asked

"Yep," Oz said

"That's not possible. No one can be that good…"

"You haven't eaten anything all day except for a can of soup for breakfast," Oz said

The moment Oz said that, he realized he should have kept it to himself. Cordelia looked very ashamed. It became clear that she was having trouble at home.

/

Spike was at the abandoned house on Sixth Street, where he and Buffy had first made love (also the place where they'd first kissed). He had rid his pockets of anything wooden; he didn't want to accidentally kill Buffy before she could tell him where Willow was.

/

Spike went inside the house.

"I'm here," he announced

"Upstairs!" Buffy called

Spike went upstairs to the room where he and Buffy had smashed through the floor. The floor was still gone; there was a large gap from the door, to a small patch of floor on the other side, which Buffy stood on. It was her way of keeping Spike at a distance and stalling for time.

"Where's Willow?" Spike demanded

"She's safe," Buffy assured, "Unlike you."

/

The rest of the Scoobies were driving around Sunnydale, trying to pinpoint Willow's location.

"Oz, can't you pick anything up?" Xander asked, in a heated tone

"I'm trying," Oz replied, a hint of frustration coming out through his normally calm self, "I want to find her just as much as you do."

"Why…" Xander started to say

"Sh!" Oz ordered

Oz sniffed the air more closely.

"No. Thought I had something."

Xander let out an annoyed growl.

"What?" Oz asked, now as irritated as Xander, "It's hard! There's too much smoke in the air from when Giles burnt down the factory!"

"Then the factory would be the perfect place to hide Willow," Cordelia realized

/

"Buffy, I get that you're mad at me, but please don't get Willow involved," Spike pleaded, "She doesn't have anything to do with this."

"You know, even Willow thinks you and Drusilla shouldn't be together," Buffy added

"You told her about Dru?" Spike asked, gritting his teeth

"Oh, was it a secret?" Buffy cringed

"Yes!"

"Well how was I supposed to know that?"

/

Willow sat in the factory basement, beginning to cast her spell. She knew love spells were kind of wrong, but she couldn't let Drusilla be happy. Especially with Spike.

"OK, here we go," Willow muttered to herself

She poured a circle of salt around a small fire, then tossed a few herbs into the flames.

/

"I don't even know what you see in Drusilla!" Buffy argued, "She's whiny, high-maintenance, and childish!"

"At the end of the day, she's a screwed up monster," Spike reminded, "Like me."

"So? I'm screwed up! I can totally be screwed up!" Buffy insisted

She tried to think of something.

"Um…did I tell you I had issues with my mom?"

/

Oz, Xander, and Cordelia went into the factory.

"She's close," Oz sensed, "I'm picking up her scent from all around this place."

"Everyone spread out," Xander ordered, "I'll take this level. Oz, you look downstairs, Cordy, you look upstairs."

They followed Xander's orders. Oz found the basement door, which was locked. He kicked at the door, busting it down in two kicks. Thanks to the closeness of the full moon, he was a lot stronger. Oz ran down the basement stairs.

"Willow?" he called

Willow looked up from her spell.

"Oz!" she called back

She abandoned the spell, and ran up the stairs to meet him. At the same time, Xander heard her call, and started running to the basement door.

"You came for me," Willow stated

"Of course," Oz replied

"I thought you said…I mean, after what I did…?"

"I'd never abandon you."

Willow leaned forward, and kissed Oz before he could stop her. It was way too affectionate to just be a 'thank you for coming for me' kiss. When Willow parted with Oz, she saw Xander standing at the top of the stairs, looking thoroughly shocked and betrayed.

"What the hell?" he asked

Oz and Willow turned to face him.

"Xander…" Willow croaked

Xander tried to contain his feelings of hurt and betrayal.

"Are you alright?" Xander knew he had to at least make sure of that

"Yeah," Willow replied, "But this isn't…!"

Xander left after hearing 'yeah'.

/

After much stalling, Buffy realized that Willow wasn't going to perform her spell. She realized that she had gone too far, gotten a bit carried away.

"I shouldn't have come back too soon," she admitted

"Yeah," Spike agreed

"So...you think if I can be good for...what, a year? Then we could be ready?"

"Honestly, I think we should stop kidding ourselves. You can try being good, but deep down, that's not what's in your nature. You'll keep up the facade as long as you can, but then you'll fall to temptation, and I'd have to do what's in my nature."

"But what if...?"

"Buffy, unless there's an absolute way to stop you from killing people, we can't be together."

Buffy knew he was right.

"Are you going to stake me?" she asked

Spike considered it. He thought about Buffy kidnapping Willow, the times she had tried to kill him, and he weighed it against Buffy helping him save the world (first with The Judge, then with Acathla) and their history together. She deserved a small break, but this was the last time.

"Show me where Willow is, and I'll let you leave town," Spike offered

"Deal."

/

The two of them left the house.

"So where will you go?" Spike asked

"Back to South America, I guess," Buffy shrugged, "Maybe that antlers-demon will take me back?"

Then the house was surrounded by six large vampires. They had been sent by The Mayor to eradicate Buffy.

"Be cool," Spike ordered

"You can leave freely," the vampire-leader said, "It's _her_ we want."

Spike stepped away from Buffy, motioning for the leader to go ahead and kill her. No sooner had the leader stepped forward that Spike had broken a piece off a wooden fence and staked him in the back. Then Spike tossed the fence-piece to Buffy, and started thrashing the other vampires. Once they were beaten up, he threw them in Buffy's direction, and she staked them. They dusted four of the remaining five, then Spike grabbed the sixth one by his shirt. He knew the vampires were too organized to be a random attack.

"Who sent you?" Spike demanded

The sixth one kicked Spike in the stomach; Spike let go of him. The vampire began running, but Spike ran after him. The vampire knew he couldn't run from Spike or survive one of his interrogations, and The Mayor diddn't look too kindly on failure. The vampire leapt onto a fence, impaling his heart on a wooden post.

/

Later, the Summers' house…

/

"So did Xander say anything?" Cordelia asked

"He just left," Willow said, "I've never seen him so hurt."

Willow cleared her throat.

"But, Spike, I wanted to talk about Drusilla…" Willow began

"Drusilla's back?" Cordelia asked, caught off-guard

"Well, might as well tell everyone," Spike sighed, "Yeah. She came back from the hell dimension. She's got her soul and I've been trying to restore her to health. She's mostly harmless."

"Did anyone else know?" Cordelia asked

Oz looked to Spike.

"I didn't tell anyone," Spike lied

Cordelia got up, picking up her purse.

"I can't deal with this drama right now," she said, "I'm going home."

She left. It was just Oz, Spike, and Willow.

"So did you…?" Oz started to ask Spike a question

"Um, I have something important to say," Willow said

"Alright," Spike said

"But…you're going to be mad at me," Willow said, "Really."

"Well do I really need to know it?" Spike asked

"Y-yeah, you do."

"Fine, what is it?" Spike asked, expecting Willow to state a tiny problem.

"Well…you know how I re-ensouled Drusilla?" Willow asked

"Yes," Spike replied

He figured Willow would say something trivial like "_Maybe I didn't say every syllable right_". But instead, Willow confessed that when she had re-souled Drusilla, she had used a different curse that had been on Ms. Calendar's floppy disk, a curse that meant if Drusilla ever had a moment of pure _happiness_ then she would lose her soul. It suddenly made sense to Spike why Drusilla's psychic powers had been sending her warnings the previous night. Willow went on to say that she had hoped Drusilla would regain her soul long enough to help Spike save the world, but then she'd lose it (easier than she would with her original curse) and Spike would kill her. By this point, Spike was doing everything he could to hold back his anger.

"So...can we re-soul Dru with the original curse?" the slayer asked

"We could have...if I hadn't gotten rid of it," Willow said

Willow then tried to justify her actions, saying at the time she was still angry about Ms. Calendar's death, that she didn't want to live in fear of Drusilla's dark-side returning.

"Willow, get out," Spike ordered

"B-but Spike..." Willow attempted

Spike crushed the chair-arm he had been gripping onto. Trying to control himself, he tensed up, clenched his teeth together, keeping his eyes tightly shut.

"For your own good, leave now!" Spike ordered

Willow tried looking to Oz for support. He was unable to look her in the eye. Willow knew she wasn't going to fix this situation anytime soon, and left Spike's house. As she walked home, she reflected on how low she had sunk in her life in just a few short hours.

/

/

/

To be continued...


	58. The Wish: Part 1

/

/

/

Willow sat by herself in the school quad; all her friends had abandoned her. Spike was avoiding her for her own safety, Oz was mad at Willow for involving him in her revenge gambit (he had helped cast the ensouling spell, and was even avoiding Spike out of shame), Xander had called time-out on their relationship because Willow had kissed Oz, Giles was furious that Willow had abused the magic, and Cordelia didn't really have anything against Willow personally, but she was fed up of hearing about everyone's problems.

And Willow wasn't the only one who people were mad at. Xander was angry at Oz and Spike (Oz because of his involvement with Willow, Spike because he had known about it), Giles was angry at Spike (Because he had found out about Drusilla's return), and Drusilla was angry at everyone because of the conditions of her ensouling, and had retreated into a state of depression. In short, no one was talking to each other.

/

Willow was on a bench eating her lunch, more alone than she'd ever been. She really wanted a friend right now, anyone.

Then a student walked up to Willow. She was a harmless-looking brunette, wearing a fashionable-but-school-appropriate white dress.

"Hi," the girl said, enthusiastically, "Do you mind if I sit next to you for lunch break?"

"No, go ahead," Willow said

She sat down next to Willow.

"I'm Anya," the girl introduced herself

"I-I'm Willow."

"Nice to meet you, Willow."

Willow was eager to make a good impression on the girl. She tried to think of something to say.

"I like that pendant," Willow complimented

"Thank you," Anya replied, "Would you like to try it on?"

"Um…okay!"

Anya took the pendant off, and placed it around Willow's neck.

"It looks nice," Anya said

Then she pretended to notice Xander for the first time.

"Is that boy looking angrily at me or you?" Anya asked

Truthfully, Anya knew all about Xander and his breakup with Willow. It was the entire reason she had come to Sunnydale.

"Pretty sure it's me," Willow sighed

"Something going on between you two?"

Willow told Anya about how she had cheated on Xander with Oz, and they had gotten caught. Then Anya managed to persuade Willow that it wasn't her fault, that someone else was to blame (knowing full-well who Willow would say).

"Well yeah, I guess Spike shares some of the blame," Willow said, "Oz and I...we got closer after getting wrapped up in so many of Spike's adventures. I wouldn't have ever even talked to Oz if it hadn't been for Spike."

"So you could say that Spike coming here was the cause of all your troubles?"

"Yeah!" Willow realized

"I'll bet you wish something bad would happen to him?" Anya prompted

"I do," Willow sighed, "You know what, Anya?"

"What?" Anya asked, gleefully

"Welll...not to be mean or anything, but I wish I could live in a world where Spike Summers had never come to Sunnydale."

Then Anya revealed her demon face. Willow gasped.

"Done…" Anya said, triumphantly

/

/

/

To be continued…


	59. The Wish: Part 2

**A/N: The reason for the previous two-page chapter is because I wanted a bit of space in between Willow's wish and what happened next.**

/

/

/

An alternate universe…

/

Willow found herself in Sunnydale high, but not the one she knew. In this one, there were no students, and the quad was empty. The place was a mess, with garbage and palm leaves littering the place. Anya was still standing in front of her, in full demon face.

"What just happened?" Willow asked

"You got what you wished for," Anya said, "A world where Spike Summers never came to Sunnydale."

"How is that possible?"

"I'm a Vengeance Demon. It's my job to grant wishes."

Anya took a look around.

"Well, I'd better be going. You should leave too, sundown soon."

The demon held her pendant, and disappeared.

/

As Willow walked home, she began to notice the changes to the town. The cinema was closed, barricaded shut. Many of the stores were also closed, and unmaintained, with garbage littering the streets. The place was dead quiet, no humans walking around.

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this," Willow told herself

Then Willow saw Oz walking down the street, looking around apprehensively. Instead of his laid-back slacker/rocker attire, he wore urban camouflage pants, and a dark tan leather jacket. There was also a black armband on his left arm with a weird symbol on it.

"Oz!" Willow walked up to him

Oz let out a growl, and shook his head in frustration.

"I'm on a break, okay? Just leave me alone!" he growled

"What do you mean?" Willow asked

Then Oz looked closer at Willow. She was scared, breathing heavily, her heart pounding…she was human.

"Willow…" Oz gasped, "It's you, isn't it? It's really you."

"Well, yeah," Willow said, nervously, "I mean, who else would it, be?"

Oz was about to explain the situation to her, when he heard the clatter of high-heeled footsteps.

"Willow, run," Oz urged, "Go back to the school."

"Why?" Willow asked

"Because...!"

Before Oz could finish that sentence, the source of the footsteps showed up. Oz took off running; Willow was paralyzed with fear. She was looking at herself. But it wasn't herself. Willow looked at the identical stranger; she had on a tight leather suit, with red lace sticking out over her chest and arms, and had her vampire face on. She looked starving.

"What the hell are you?" Vampire-Willow asked

She walked over to Willow, stroking the human's face to check if she was real. She licked her lips.

"Giles, you have got to come see this!" Vamp-Willow called

As if things couldn't get any scarier, a vampire version of Giles appeared, from behind where Willow stood. He wore a grey T-shirt, a roughed-up black leather jacket, and combat boots.

"Oh, way too cool," Giles grinned, speaking with his 'Ripper' accent

He gripped Willow tightly before she could run away, and faced her towards Vamp-Willow. She studied Willow, having a good feel and making sure to take her time in noticing all the similarities. Willow let out a whimper.

"Quake with fear, you tiny mortal!" Giles grinned

Vamp-Willow moved her hands from Willow's chest to her neck.

"Oh, so similar," Vamp-Willow grinned, "Well, except for this."

Vamp-Willow tapped on Willow's still-beating heart.

"But we'll soon fix that…"

She leaned forward, biting Willow's neck. Willow screamed, struggling to break free, to no avail.

/

Then there was a loud clank as something bashed against a nearby car. Giles let go of Willow, turning to face the sound, and a crowbar collided with the front of his head, wielded by a mysterious attacker. The attacker took out a crossbow, and fired it into Vamp-Willow's chest, but missed her heart. Vamp-Willow recognized who it was.

"Oh, not you!" she groaned

The vampire abandoned Giles, running off before the attacker could finish her off. Willow was extremely relieved.

"Don't worry, you're going to be okay," the attacker said

Willow turned around to face the man. He stood there in his black suit and open-collar white shirt, with a small golf-bag full of anti-vampire weapons on his back. And he had an eye-patch.

"Xander?" Willow gasped

"Willow?" Xander gasped

The two of them stood silently for a moment. Willow couldn't believe Xander was so...cool. Xander couldn't believe Willow was alive.

"What's going on?" Willow asked

Xander saw that Giles was getting up; he took Willow by the hand.

"Don't worry," he said, in a voice that filled Willow with confidence, "Everything's going to be alright."

/

Xander took Willow to his car (a light blue 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air convertible, taken from his uncle), and began to furiously drive away.

"Xander, what's…?" Willow began

"Willow, no offense, but driving is already hard enough for me!" Xander said, pointing to his eye patch

"Sorry!" Willow stopped talking

/

Xander drove through Sunnydale, back to the school.

"Why are we back here?" Willow asked, once Xander had stopped driving

"We need to get you to the library," Xander replied

They ran into the school, to the aforementioned room. It was also different; there was a new door, reinforced and covered with crucifixes. Xander bolted the door shut behind them. Inside, the walls were adorned with holy items and symbols, and tanks of holy water were mounted on the ceiling, linked to the sprinklers. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure that the place was secure.

/

Xander made sure the area was safe, then sat down, catching his breath and taking in the recent events.

"I can't believe this," Xander said, looking at Willow, "It's a miracle. You shouldn't even be here, but you are."

He hugged Willow tightly, letting out a few tears.

"Can y-you tell me what's going on?" Willow asked

"You don't remember?" Xander asked

"Remember what?"

Xander looked at Willow with surprise.

"Willow…you're dead," Xander said, "Or you were. Actually, you still are…"

Xander shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"I could really use Giles right about now," Xander lamented

"Oh God, Giles is dead," Willow remembered

She tried not to cry.

"Who else?" she asked, "I mean, who else is dead?"

Xander didn't want to tell Willow, but his eyes betrayed him; they darted to a board on the wall. It contained names of Sunnydale high students, beneath a large-print phrase: I WILL NEVER FORGET.

"Willow, don't look!" Xander warned

Willow looked; almost every student's name was on the board, with a photo next to it. The causes of death were also listed; most of them were vampire attacks, but there were others listed; demon attacks, psychotic students, and witchcraft gone wrong. And it was all because Spike hadn't been around to protect them. It terrified Willow to see her own name, with a red mark next to it that meant 'turned'.

"All…all these people died?" Willow managed to say

"Yeah, from our school," Xander said, "There's another memorial at the mall that has the names of all Sunnydale _residents_ that have died. Well, everyone worth mentioning."

"Who isn't worth mentioning?" Willow asked

"The Mayor, and Principal Snyder," Xander informed

"How did they die?" Willow asked, afraid of the answer

"Well, Snyder died with my bare hands around his neck," Xander said, "And The Mayor…he was harder to kill, but he's probably dead by now. Being buried alive does that to you."

Willow looked at Xander with shock.

"Traitors get shot, that's how it works," Xander informed

Willow was thoroughly overwhelmed.

"How did all this happen?" she asked

/

Xander told Willow the story of how The Master rose and took control of Sunnydale.

"…and I managed to escape from Darla and the Vessel," Xander continued, "But they got you. And the next day, you got me."

He indicated his eye patch.

"I staked Jesse," Xander continued, "Not that it did any good. The Master had already risen, the damage had been done. Giles tried to teach us to fight back, he drafted us into an anti-vampire force."

Xander pointed to a framed picture on the wall. It showed Giles, Xander, Oz, Harmony, Jonathan, Jenny Calendar, and Cordelia standing in the library. Oz's face had been scratched out.

"And that's when it got so much worse," Xander said, "The Master rose, and assembled an undead army. They took the town by force, they use the Bronze as their headquarters. We tried fighting them, but then they killed Ms. Calendar, and Giles went on a suicide mission. And when he got turned, Jonathan killed himself from grief."

"B-but what about Oz? He's still with you, right?"

"The Master sent a werewolf to his house. It killed his family, and turned him. After that he just gave up, started working for The Master. Bastard uses him in his wolf form as an attack dog."

The thought of Oz collaborating with vampires sickened Willow.

"Still, he tells me whenever the vampires are planning something, so I let him live, for now," Xander said

It saddened Willow that Xander was so alone in the world.

"Isn't there anyone else to help you?" Willow asked, "What about the Watchers council? O-or maybe Ethan Rayne?"

"I tried the Watchers council," Xander admitted, "I keep phoning them on the number I found in Giles's office, but they keep telling me their main priority is in Cleveland. They say there's a Hellmouth there, whatever that is."

/

Xander was on the phone to the council, after receiving some interesting information from Willow.

"Harris," Xander said, "Alexander Harris. No, Rupert Giles is dead. Sunnydale. Sunnydale, California…yes, there **is** a Hellmouth on this town!"

Pause.

"Yes," Xander resumed his phone call, "I…look, vampires are all over this town! They hunt in plain sight, almost eradicated the entire population...! They're running this place! Can't you do anything?"

There was silence as the person on the other end spoke.

"Right," Xander sighed, "Yeah, great. Thanks."

He hung up the phone.

"Well?" Willow asked

"They said they'd send _one_ guy," Xander replied, annoyed

/

The Bronze…

/

The Master stood on the stage, watching the vampires on the floor partying, feeding off humans from the cages that hung from the ceiling. Giles and Vamp-Willow stood next to him, Oz standing distantly behind them, scowling.

"And she was human?" The Master asked

"Oh yes," Giles nodded

"Hm. How peculiar."

"Should we consult the seer?" Giles suggested

"Yes, go do that," The Master instructed

/

Giles and Vamp-Willow adjourned to the backroom of the Bronze, finding a jail cell. Inside was a lone prisoner: Drusilla. She sat on the floor, a chain extending from her ankle to the wall. She was surrounded by sheets of paper, and was constantly writing things down, muttering strange phrases.

"…the lost king of the woodshed will not yield…" Drusilla said

"Seer!" Vamp-Willow yelled, banging on the cage door

Drusilla looked up, then backed away.

"Apparently some girl is walking around this town looking just like me," Vamp-Willow said, "Feel like telling me about it?"

Drusilla looked away from Vamp-Willow. The redhead was not pleased.

"Open the cage," Vamp-Willow ordered

"No," Drusilla croaked

Eagerly, Vamp-Willow entered the cage, carrying a riding crop and a multi-bladed knife. Five minutes later, she came back out. At that point, Drusilla was curled up on the floor, crying in a pool of her own blood.

"Do we know anything?" Giles asked, "What is it? A duplication spell? Or a resurgence of the Tothric Clan?"

Giles knew that only Vamp-Willow could understand Drusilla's prophetic ramblings.

"Forget the other-me," Vamp-Willow said, "We've got bigger problems."

"Such as?"

"The slayer is coming to town."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	60. The Wish: Part 3

/

/

/

The next day…

/

It was daylight. Willow woke up in Xander's bed, in Giles' office. Xander had kept his arm around Willow the entire night, holding her close and protecting her. It was late in the morning, almost eleven.

"Xander," Willow whispered, "Xander!"

Xander woke up with a shock, grasping his eye-patch. Then he came to his senses.

"Hey…" Xander said

He looked over Willow. He was so glad that she was still there, that her reappearance hadn't been a dream.

"Did you sleep alright?" Xander asked

"Better than I thought I would," Willow admitted

She slid out of bed, and picked her clothes up off the floor.

"What do you usually do during the day?" Willow asked

"I prepare for the night," Xander replied, "Sharpen stakes, make crucifixes, stock weapons."

Xander indicated his workstation. He made more stakes and blunt weapons than arrows or crossbow bolts, due to his bad depth perception.

"So this guy that the Council is sending, Spike? You said you knew him?"

"Yeah, I know him in my…timeline," Willow explained

"Can he kill The Master?"

"He did."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I wasn't there, but Giles told me about it."

"How did he do it?"

"Oh, well, what I heard was, Spike faced The Master, then The Master killed him, then Spike killed The Master."

Xander looked at her strangely.

"I didn't pay much attention," Willow admitted, "But I'm pretty sure The Master's dead."

"So will we need some backup?"

"I guess it couldn't hurt."

Xander got up and began stretching.

"But I thought there was no one left?" Willow asked

"There's…one option."

/

The mall…

/

The mall's entrances had been boarded up, the windows were barred and adorned with crucifixes, and anti-vampire weapons and heavy artillery were mounted on the roof.

"So Cordelia lives here?" Willow asked

"Her and the Cordettes," Xander replied, "They stick together."

The Cordettes was the nickname that Xander had given to Cordelia's gang of mean-girls that followed her around in high school.

"Some things never change…" Willow sighed

/

Xander walked to the front door; it was a revolving door, but the glass was replaced with steel panels and boards.

"Alexander Harris, code one-one-nine!" he called, "And guest!"

A hatch in the door opened, revealing two shot glasses. Xander downed one.

"It's just holy water," Xander assured, "She want to make sure we're not vampires."

Willow drank from the spare glass. There was a loud click as the door unlocked. Xander went through the door, with Willow following. When they got inside, Willow found it was surprisingly well-maintained inside. The floors were clean, there was no litter, and although the windows had at one point been smashed, the place was devoid of broken glass. There was even a row of plants lining the walls.

"Why the hell did you bring her here?"

Willow looked away from the pleasant scenery to the four girls standing in front of her. It was Cordelia, and the Cordettes: Harmony, Aura, and Gwen. They had traded in their fashionable outfits for dark green military fatigues, and their elaborate hairstyles had been shaved off. Cordelia stood out the most, having a scar that went diagonally through her mouth. All the girls carried the traditional anti-vampire weapons (stakes, crucifixes, etcetera…), but also automatic pistols and grenades.

"I said, why did you bring her here?" Cordelia repeated, "You've got ten seconds to convince me not to stake both of you."

"Cordelia, it's broad daylight," Xander reminded, "She walked here with me."

"So?" Cordelia asked

"Think about that for a moment."

Cordelia did.

"Oh!" she realized

/

The food court…

/

Xander filled Cordelia in on what had happened.

"So why did you risk bringing her out into the open?" Cordelia asked

"We needed to talk to you," Xander said, "I've got a guy coming to town. Willow says he might be able to kill The Master. But I'd like to have a bit of backup."

"You want us to help you take down The Master?"

"No, the new guy will do it. We just need you to clear the path for him."

"Fine. We'll get the explosives out of the armory," Cordelia said

/

Xander and Cordelia went to go check the armory. Willow was left alone with the Cordettes.

"It's…it's good to see you alive again, Willow," Harmony said

"Um, thanks," Willow replied

She tried to fill the awkward silence.

"So…when did you guys go all...GI Jane?" Willow asked

"Oh, uh, it was after that librarian died," Gwen said, "Cordelia sort of…took command. We raided the army base and, uh, set up our own base here."

Another awkward silence.

"Sometimes we go out and fight the vampires," Aura added

/

Later…

/

The gang brought the weapons out to Xander's car. It took them longer than Xander had thought; he hadn't accounted for how careful they would have to be when transporting the unstable materials. By the time the car was loaded up, it had started to get dark.

"Xander, there is no way you can drive this through a crowd of vampires," Cordelia warned, "The slightest tick could set it off."

"Well I can't leave the library alone," Xander said, "There's too much invested in it."

"You're walking back at this hour?" Cordelia asked

"I'll be fine," Xander insisted

"But I won't," Willow reminded

Xander looked at Willow.

"Can she stay with you?" Xander asked

"Yeah," Cordelia replied, "But you really should too."

"No chance."

/

Xander began his trek through Sunnydale. He knew it was risky, but he couldn't leave the library alone. It was his sanctuary, his safe-zone. If the vampires got to it, it would be as if they had invaded his mind. He tried to stay safe, going the long way and avoiding the Bronze. Unfortunately, this brought him right into the path of a squadron of vampires.

"Well, if it isn't Sunnydale's white knight," one vampire taunted

Xander began to run, but then collided into a group of six more vampires.

"Now where are you going in such a hurry?" another vamp asked

Xander backed away, taking out a spearheaded baseball bat from his bag. He faced the ten vampires, wondering if he could survive the encounter in one piece.

"Hai!" Xander yelled

He swung the bat threateningly, knocking down a vamp and creating himself an escape point. Xander started to run, but they chased after him. To make matters worse, Xander tripped over on the sidewalk. Before he could grab a weapon, someone tore his bag off of him. Xander looked up at the ten monsters who were about to kill him. He hoped it would be quick.

/

"Excuse me!" someone called

Everyone looked up at the source of the voice. A teenager stood on top of a derelict van. He wore a white open-neck T-shirt and white trousers. His chin-length hair was a brilliant shade of natural chestnut-brown.

"Is one of you Xander Harris?" the teenager asked

"Uh, that's me…!" Xander said

"Good."

At once, the teenager leapt off the van, and ran towards the vampires. They stood their ground, preparing to fight him. The teenager charged through them, moving incredibly fast, striking each of them on the chest. The teenager skidded to a halt on the pavement.

"What the heck was that supposed to be?" the vampire who took Xander's bag sneered

Then suddenly, the vampires began to combust, one by one. The bag-grabber was the last to go.

"Oh sh…" he realized what had happened, then exploded

/

The teenager helped Xander up.

"Are you alright?" the teenager asked

"Fine," Xander said, "What was that? Some kind of ninja death-touch?"

"Not exactly," the teenager said

He held up his hands. The teenager had wooden splinters attached to his fingers; each of them had broken off.

"Learned that from my Watcher," the teenager said

When the teenager talked, he sounded like an actor who had perfectly memorized and rehearsed every line of his script. He had an English accent that was perfectly balanced between pretentious upper-class and rough lower-class.

"I-I'm sorry, who are you?" Xander asked

The teenager extended out his hand.

"My name is Spike William Summers," he introduced himself, "I suggest you call me Spike, it's the easiest to remember."

"Alright…Spike."

/

The Bronze…

/

Oz stood on the stage next to The Master, watching the chaos inside. It sickened him, watching the few remaining humans in Sunnydale be kept in cages as food for the vampires. It sickened him that he stood next to the evil man who orchestrated it. But it was better than being down with the cattle.

"Daniel Osbourne, you've been a very faithful servant," The Master said, "Well, I don't like to think of you as a servant."

"I know," Oz muttered, with contempt in his voice

"And I think it's about time that I let you in on the secret of our success," The Master said

"Alright," Oz shrugged

/

The Master led Oz to the warehouse behind the Bronze. Oz knew that the vampires used the warehouse for killings, but he didn't know exactly how it was done. Inside, there was a machine comprised of a conveyer belt starting at one end of a factory and going through a strange machine in the middle, finally leading to one large receptacle.

And there were ten of them.

Oz started to feel sick.

"Well, now you know," The Master said

He pointed the beginning of the line.

"Humans get on here. Then they go in that machine, blood gets drained, and then they're disposed of. It's quick, efficient, and modern. I know as vampires, our kills should be special…but you can't argue with statistics."

Oz was terrified by this point.

"H-how long have you had this?" Oz managed to ask

"Well, we've had the idea for a while, but it only really came to fruition when the Watcher got sired, he was very helpful in getting us the more…obscure parts."

Oz was scared beyond belief. He had always known that the vampires were killing human en masse, but he thought it was by natural animalistic killings, not an organized and efficient extermination. The human race didn't have a chance against this.

/

Halfway from the mall to the library…

/

"...and I had only just started to accept being a slayer, when my dad's firm transferred us to Japan," Spike explained, "Which was odd, I didn't know they had a Japanese branch."

"Uh huh," Xander was too busy looking out for vampires to properly listen to Spike

"I met a Shinto priest, he taught me how to conquer my demons. Figuratively and literally," Spike continued, "But enough about me. How did you become the Council's liason to this area?"

"When the last 'liason' became a vampire. That's when things got really bad."

"I can see that."

"Oh, you have no idea. This town's filled with monsters, vampires, murders…"

Xander was interrupted by a loud 'whoosh'. A flare had launched into the sky. It left a trail of smoke that led down to the mall.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Xander yelled

He took off running, Spike ran after him.

"What is it?" Spike asked

"Emergency signal!"

/

The two of them ran back to the mall. They found the armored revolving door destroyed. Inside, there had been an attack. Cordelia and Harmony had survived, barely. Aura and Gwen were lying on the floor dead, their throats slit.

"Where's Willow?" Xander demanded, "Where is she?"

"T-they took her," Cordelia stammered, "About fifty of them, they all came at once. This time they were really determined. Like, life or death situation."

Xander remembered a similar event happening at the library the previous year, when a swarm of vampires had broken in to steal a sacred prophecy that The Master had wanted. When The Master wanted something, his minions would go to any lengths to get it.

"Did they tell you anything?" Spike asked, "Did they make any demands?"

Cordelia looked at Spike oddly. Why did Xander keep bringing strange people to her sanctum?

"You can trust him," Xander assured

"They said…they said if you want Willow back, you must deliver the…the slayer to The Master."

/

/

/

To be continued…


	61. The Wish: Part 4

/

/

/

The Bronze…

/

The higher-up vampires had all gathered in the Bronze, all eagerly anticipating the arrival of the slayer. Vamp-Willow was having fun with Willow; she was under strict orders not to kill Willow (The Master had threatened her with no torture for a month), but she still could playfully tease and grope the girl.

"Stop that!" Willow screeched

Vamp-Willow and Giles laughed at her.

"Y-yeah, laugh while you can!" Willow stammered, "If the slayer's coming, you'll really be in for it! I've met him, he's going to stake all of you, so much that…that the cleaning lady's going to complain!"

"What?" Giles was confused

"Because of…all the dust," Willow tried to explain

"The slayer's going to clean the place?" Giles asked

"Never mind…" Willow sighed

/

Spike arrived at The Bronze, at the back exit. Xander and Cordelia were with him.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Spike asked

"The Master's either here, or the factory," Xander said, "For someone like you, they'd choose the Bronze. More…ceremonious."

"That makes sense," Spike said

He broke the lock on the back door.

"Wait ten minutes, then come in," Spike ordered

"Spike, this is suicide!" Xander reminded

"I know. Ten minutes."

Spike entered. Cordelia and Xander stayed behind.

/

Spike entered the Bronze through the backroom. He was planning on going directly to the Master, when he saw something unusual. It was a vampire in a prison cell; she was leaning against the wall, praying. Then Spike sensed her soul.

"No way…" he muttered

Drusilla turned around, seeing Spike.

"It's you," she gasped, "I mean... you don't remember. How could you?"

"Do we…know each other?" Spike asked

"I waited. I waited here for you. But you never... I was supposed to help you."

"You were going to help me?"

"When The Master rose. He let me live... to punish me. I kept hoping maybe you'd come. Help me achieve my destiny."

"Right…I'm afraid I'm not that good with prophecies," Spike admitted

"I'm sorry. I just meant..."

"Look, I'm kind of in a hurry. Are you on my side, or The Master's?"

"Yours. Any day."

Spike opened the cell door.

"H-how can I help out?" Drusilla asked

Spike handed her a stake.

"Go outside, wait ten minutes, then come in for me," Spike advised

/

Spike made his way to the main area of the Bronze. He caught the vampires off-guard, appearing through the stage entrance.

"Hello," Spike said

"Hello…" The Master replied, uneasily

He stared at Spike.

"Slayer?" The Master asked

"Vampire," Spike replied

Spike walked towards The Master. Unlike The Master's subjects and other humans, Spike did not fear him.

"I believe the agreement was my life in exchange for hers?" Spike indicated Willow

The Master laughed at Spike's apparently idiotic heroism.

"Yes," The Master nodded, "Will you submit to me?"

"If you let her walk out of here first," Spike said

The Master looked at Vamp-Willow, and motioned for her to release Willow. She complied; Willow began walking to the back exit, passing Spike. She felt like she had to say something.

"Spike, you don't have to do this," Willow insisted

"I do," Spike said, "You must go. But know that I gladly lay down my own life in order to save yours."

/

Willow was gone. Spike prepared to do what he had to do.

"Well, slayer, your plan worked," The Master said, "Unfortunately, you didn't factor in that I'll have that girl back in a matter of hours."

"I did some other plans," Spike said

"Really?" The Master was interested, "Do tell."

"Plan B was going to snort some cocaine and enter here with an assault rifle."

The Master thought for a moment.

"_Scarface_, right?" The Master asked

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "Didn't think you'd get that. I heard you'd been underground for some time."

"Well, the newer-vampires talked me into watching some," The Master said, "Only the best, though."

"Have you seen Star Wars?" Spike asked

"I did, last month. Didn't think I'd enjoy it, but I did."

"He's a fan of Darth Vader," Vamp-Willow grinned

"So, did you have any other plans?" The Master asked

"I had another one," Spike said, "I was going to build a bomb, one that would detonate when you came close to me and kill us both in a fiery blaze."

"And why didn't you?" The Master asked

"Because…" Spike began

Suddenly, the front doors burst open, revealing Xander, Cordelia, Harmony, and Willow, with Drusilla entering from the back door, per Xander's orders.

"No, get out!" Spike warned

"We're not letting you sacrifice yourself," Xander replied, "If we have to go down, we do it together."

At once, they began fighting the crowd of vampires; it was quite ferocious. Xander staked two vampires at the same time. Cordelia swung her machete around, killing three. Harmony staked a vampire in the stomach before a crowd of vampires began tearing her apart. Drusilla lunged at Vamp-Willow, intent on getting revenge for the three years of torment the redhead had inflicted on her. Spike tried to yell at them to retreat, but then The Master got in his way; the two of them began fighting. Giles was about to sneak up on Spike, when Oz took a stake out of his jacket and jammed it into Giles' chest.

"You little bastard…!" Giles growled

Then he exploded into dust. Oz began fighting the other vampires. Drusilla pinned Vamp-Willow to the wall and attempted to snap her neck, but the evil vampire was too strong. She headbutted Drusilla, knocking her backwards.

"Willow, help her!" Oz yelled

Willow managed to get up onstage and stake her vampire doppelganger; unfortunately, Drusilla recovered in time to see Willow standing in front of her. She sprang at Willow. The two of them went crashing through the Bronze's boarded-up window.

/

Outside…

/

Drusilla and Willow went crashing onto the ground. Unfortunately, Willow had landed on the remnants of the window. Shards of wood and glass were embedded into her back. There was a very large shard of glass right through her stomach.

"Oh…" Drusilla gasped, realizing she had gotten the wrong Willow, "I am…I am so sorry!"

Drusilla tried to help Willow up.

"Aaaaah!" Willow cried, as the shard of glass exited her

Drusilla realized there was only one thing she could do for Willow.

"I'm sorry," Drusilla whispered

She placed her hands on Willow's neck.

"No," Willow shook her head, "Please, no!"

There was a crack as Drusilla broke the girl's neck.

/

"Oh, this is too good!" someone laughed

Drusilla looked up, seeing Anya standing in front of her. She had come back to see how much mayhem she had caused.

"You…you made the world like this," Drusilla accused

"Yes," Anya grinned, "All it took was one sad little girl…and my magic pendant…and I turned a mere horror-movie town into a vampiric dystopia."

Drusilla got up, and swung her sharp fingernails at Anya, slitting her throat. It didn't even faze her.

"It takes more than that to kill a vengeance demon," Anya taunted

Drusilla raised a curious eyebrow.

"You're a vengeance demon?" Drusilla asked

"Um…" Anya realized she had said too much

At that point, Drusilla grabbed Anya's necklace. She had attempted to throw it at a wall and smash it, but it slipped out of her hands and soared through the hole in the wall, landing undamaged next to Spike.

/

The Master gave Spike another punch in the face, sending him flying backwards. He managed to get his balance back, but he was still unstable from the head-injuries. The Master looked down at him.

"Not a good plan, was it slayer?" The Master asked, "I think you should have gone with the bomb-idea."

Spike looked up at The Master, fiercely determined. He knew what he had to do.

"Who says I didn't?" Spike growled

Using all of his strength, Spike tore his white T-shirt off, revealing packs of plastic explosive and wire strapped to his chest. He had crudely made a bomb from Cordelia's supplies. The Master was shocked by this reveal.

"I was hoping to do this without any humans in the vicinity, but it appears I can't do that," Spike informed

The Master made a futile attempt to try and hypnotize Spike, but everything happened too fast. Spike gripped the detonator tightly.

/

The slayer had overestimated the bomb's range. Really, he only had enough plastic explosive to kill himself and The Master, maybe take out a few minions. But fortunately, the vampires didn't obey the building or fire codes. The small explosion finished off an already-crumbly load-bearing wall. The roof crashed down and ignited the gas main, causing an even bigger explosion. The building was destroyed, everyone inside was killed…and Anya's pendant was obliterated.

/

Willow suddenly found herself back in Sunnydale, sitting across from Anya in the quad.

"Done," Anya said

Then she realized her powers weren't working.

"Oh no…" she gasped

Willow looked around, seeing a blonde Spike, a two-eyed Xander, and a calm Oz, plus a full-school. She was back in her timeline.

/

Later…

/

Giles snapped his book shut.

"If that was indeed a vengeance demon, it appears her powers were destroyed," he informed, "We should be alright."

The gang (Spike, Oz, Cordelia, Xander, Willow, and Giles) were in the library.

"So what exactly did she do?" Xander asked

"Well…"

/

Willow struggled to tell the story; the details had become hazy to her, like a strange dream.

"...and then I think we were all at the Bronze," Willow finished, "And…we died."

"Did you also…?" Xander began

"Yeah," Willow nodded, uneasily

"But you're okay now?" Spike asked, concerned

"Uh, I will be," Willow said

"That's good to know," Oz said

Willow noticed everyone's concern to her well-being; she realized that they had all begun their path to reconciliation (but Willow didn't want to spoil the moment by pointing it out).

/

/

/

To be continued…


	62. Helpless: Part 1

/

/

/

Spike was in the library with Giles. He sat on a chair in front of the table, looking at different kinds of crystals.

"Can we hurry this up?" Spike asked, "Need to prepare for later. Gonna go out and kill a load of vamps."

"Spike, focus," Giles urged, "Your studies are very important."

"I'm a fighter, not a reader," Spike reminded, "Knowing a load of trivia isn't gonna help kill something."

"You'd be surprised," Giles said

"So if I'm cornered by a demon, it's important that I know…" Spike glanced at an open book , "…who the celestial guardian of Thursday is?"

Giles was starting to get frustrated with his slayer.

"Please, Spike. What is this one?"

Giles pointed to a crystal.

"Amethyst," Spike sighed

"And it's used for…?" Giles prompted

"Oh, I don't know," Spike groaned, "Maybe it's used for…"

Spike said something discourteous at Giles' expense.

"Spike!" Giles growled

"Charm bags, money spells, and for cleansing your aura," Spike muttered

"Good," Giles said, "Now, try and concentrate on it."

Spike looked at the crystal.

/

Later…

/

Xander and Willow stood by Willow's locker. They were talking about Willow's experiences in the Wish-Verse. She had remembered several events from it in a dream.

"So, really, one eye?" Xander asked

"Yeah," Willow nodded, "But, uh, it was pretty cool, you looked like a spy."

"Which side?" Xander asked eagerly

"Your left eye."

Xander nodded approvingly (the cooler one-eyed characters wore eye-patches on the left side).

"So what about everyone else?" Xander asked

"Well Cordelia and Harmony started an army," Willow explained, "Well, two-person army. And Oz was a traitor to…"

"Yeah, surprise, surprise…" Xander muttered

Xander had said that louder than he thought. Willow looked at him, hurt.

"I mean…" Xander said, quickly, "Uh…was Spike there?"

"Yeah," Willow wanted to change the subject, "He was really different. His hair was brown and really long, and…"

Then Willow remembered Wishverse!Spike telling her that he would gladly die for her, and felt worse.

/

The Cemetery…

/

Spike was trying to fight off a vampire, but he was having trouble. His senses were off, he was having trouble seeing, and his coat felt so much heavier; it was like it was made of steel.

"Huuh!"

Spike swung his stake at a vampire, missing him.

"Do you need glasses or something?" a vampire asked

Spike gasped for breath, trying to think clearly. What was he supposed to do? Could he stake the vampire without the vampire biting him? Oh god, could he get rabies from a vampire bite?

"Look over there!" Spike said, pointing in the distance

The vampire responded by kicking Spike in the face. He grabbed Spike's stake from him, and would have killed Spike if a sword hadn't sliced through the vampire's neck. The vampire exploded, revealing Drusilla standing behind him. She knew exactly what was going on, and had been shadowing Spike, ready to save his life.

"Are you okay, Spike?" Drusilla asked

"Um, well, I've got this pain…I mean, I…" Spike stammered

He let out an angry growl, trying to clear his head.

"I will be," Spike stated

Spike struggled to get up. Adrenaline was rushing through his system uncontrollably and uncomfortably. Everything seemed faster, scarier. Even Drusilla was scaring Spike a bit.

"Not your night, is it?" Drusilla asked

"No," Spike shook his head

Spike leaned against a tombstone, and took off his coat.

"When did this get so heavy?" Spike asked, "Something up with the gravity here?"

Spike blinked a few times.

"And why the hell can't I see right?"

/

The next day…

/

Spike and Oz were in the library, as Spike attempted to do some training. Spike hurled a knife at a target on the wall, and it bounced off the target rim.

"Close," Oz said, trying to be there for Spike

Spike hurled the second knife, and missed the target completely; the knife bounced off the bookcase and fell to the rug. Spike felt ashamed of his poor skills.

"Try again," Oz encouraged, "Maybe you'll get it?"

Then Spike prepared to throw knife number three…

"Hello, Spike," Giles said

In a panic, Spike threw the knife in Giles' direction. The Watcher ducked…and the knife went crashing through his office window.

"Sorry," Spike sighed, "…Sorry."

"It's alright," Giles said, picking himself up off the floor

"I've just been really off lately," Spike said, "I think something's wrong with my powers."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Spike said,"Last night, they just...stopped. Thought maybe it was just a bad night, but this morning, I woke up and they were still gone."

"O-oh dear," Giles shook his head

"Has this ever happened before? Like slayer-powers just...go?"

"I'd have to look it up."

"What if it's the slayer-line correcting itself?" Oz asked, "Maybe your powers are gone because you weren't supposed to have them in the first place?"

"I don't think that's it," Giles said

Spike found Giles' quick dismissive suspicious.

"How do you know that?" Spike asked

For a moment, Giles was afraid.

"Sorry," Spike shook off his feelings of suspicion, "I'm just really on edge lately. And I can barely see at all!"

Giles realized that he hadn't accounted pre-Slayer Spike's eyesight.

"Did you wear glasses before you got your powers?" Giles asked

"Oh God, I have to start wearing them again?" Spike groaned

"It's not so bad," Oz said

"Glasses, and no powers?" Spike stated, "Oz, my life's gonna suck. I'm gonna become one of those boring old guys with a lousy job, where I have to wear a suit and tie and work really late…"

Oz coughed and tilted his head, indicating Giles.

"Grrraah!" Spike kicked the wall, "Sorry! I am just so…"

"Spike, it's fine," Giles assured, "I know this must be difficult for you."

He walked into his office. He returned holding a small blue box.

"Perhaps an early birthday present would make you feel better?" Giles asked

Spike reluctantly took the box. He opened it; inside was a watch. It was analog (as in, not digital), very well constructed. Giles had really gone the distance, he hadn't just picked it up at the mall.

"It's made of a dense polymer," Giles explained, "I had it custom-made so you can wear it while slaying."

"This is fantastic," Spike said

He rolled up his sleeve, and put the watch on.

"Thanks, Giles," Spike said

/

Later...

/

Spike got home, finding Joyce waiting for him.

"Alright, mum?" Spike asked

"Hey Spike," Joyce replied

She stirred the pot she was cooking in.

"Your dad called," Joyce said, "He said he was going to be off the grid for a while, but he wanted me to tell you he said happy birthday."

"Cool," Spike muttered

Spike opened the fridge, and took out a can. He opened it and had a drink.

"Spike, that's...!" Joyce began

Spike began coughing upon tasting the drink.

"...carrot juice," Joyce finished

Spike examined the can. Joyce realized Spike was having trouble seeing.

"Should I look around for your glasses?" Joyce asked

"No!" Spike insisted, "I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

/

Spike went up to his room, and locked the door behind him. He reached under the bed, taking out a shoebox. He opened it, and looked at the items inside. There was a pair of glasses, a small poetry book, and a school tie. They were part of who Spike used to be; without his slayer powers, would he return to being like that?

/

/

/

To be continued...


	63. Helpless: Part 2

**A/N: I'm thinking of writing a crossover with Supernatural, basically have Slayer!Spike meet young Sam and Dean Winchester. If I did that, would anyone read it? (I'd probably publish it as a separate fic)**

**Also, to the guest-reviewer who used the name 'Spuffy': can you get an account so I can answer your review?  
><strong>

/

/

/

The Sunnydale Arms Motel…

/

The Sunnydale Arms Motel had been abandoned for quite some time. The place was filthy, having mold on the walls and almost no ceiling. Still, it was the only available place that the Council could use in Sunnydale. Two Watchers were in there, busy bricking up the windows. They had a fire going in the fireplace, for basic heat and light.

/

The door opened; Quentin Travers, the head of the Watchers Council, walked in.

"How is it going?" he asked

"Should be done in five, maybe six hours," Blair replied

"Good. When you and Hobson are finished, feel free to get some rest. But sleep in shifts."

"Understood."

/

Blair continued stacking bricks. He couldn't help but look over at the large wooden crate at the back of the room. It was shaking again...

/

Sunnydale High, the next day…

/

"Why are we focusing so much on crystals?" Spike asked

"I'll explain later," Giles said, "Anyway, focus."

Spike stared at the crystal.

"Hey, Giles, I was thinking," Spike said, "There's that football match on this weekend. Oz is gonna come over and watch it with me, and I thought it would be cool to have another English guy there, so…"

Then Spike was mesmerized by the crystal. Giles took a syringe out of his briefcase. He rubbed a patch of Spike's arm with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball then injected the contents of the syringe into him. Once it had entered Spike's system, Giles broke the contact with Spike and the crystal.

"Spike?" Giles asked

"Huh, what?" Spike asked

"I said, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure," Spike got up, "I should go back to class."

"Very well. Try hard."

"Guess I'll have to now…"

/

As he walked out of school, Spike noticed John Lee (a member of the football team) hassling Cordelia.

"You made me look like an idiot!" John yelled, "I waited for you at the Bronze all night!"

"Well anyone with a teaspoon of brains knows not to take my flirting seriously!" Cordelia reminded

She started to walk away, when John grabbed her.

"Hey, I'm not done talking to you!" he yelled

At that point, Spike intervened. Spike grabbed John by the arm, intending to throw him to the ground. Then he remembered his strength was gone. John pulled his arm out of Spike's grip, then gave him a shove. Spike shoved back, then they erupted into a fight. John punched Spike in the face at full force, pretty much winning the fight. But he didn't stop there; showing no mercy, he continued knocking Spike around. Spike would have gotten off a lot worse if Cordelia hadn't slammed her purse into the back of John's head.

"Get off of him!" Cordelia yelled

She continued hitting him in the back of the head.

"Ow! Okay, whatever!" John tried to block Cordy's hits, "Fine! I'll stop!"

John walked away. Spike had never felt more powerless in his life.

/

The next day…

/

It was Spike's birthday. He was over at the mansion with Drusilla. They sat on the antique rug in front of the fireplace as Spike opened the birthday present that Drusilla had given him.

"I wasn't sure which you'd prefer," Drusilla began trying to undersell herself, "I mean, since I couldn't give you what I gave you last year…"

Spike opened the neatly-wrapped package. He couldn't quite see what the presents inside were.

"Do you like them?" Drusilla asked

Spike hesitated. Then reluctantly, he took his glasses out of his pocket and put them on. He saw that Drusilla had given him an antique dagger and a VHS copy of _A Clockwork Orange_.

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "They're great. I'm looking forward to using them both."

"You don't look so…" Drusilla began

"It's just this whole loss of powers," Spike admitted, "I think I'm regressing back to…who I was before."

Drusilla placed her hand on Spike's hand, attempting to comfort him.

"If it means anything, I can see just as much potential in you as I did when I first laid eyes on you," Drusilla said, "You're going to set the world on fire, Spike Summers."

Spike suddenly looked worried.

"Not literally!" Drusilla said quickly

"Do you think...do you see anything else?" Spike asked

"You want to know if I know what's happened to your powers?" Drusilla asked

"Do you?" Spike asked

Drusilla avoided Spike's glance.

"You know something, don't you?" Spike asked

The vampire got up.

"I need more blood," Drusilla decided

/

Drusilla walked into the kitchen. Spike followed her.

"Dru, come on, what do you know?" Spike asked

Drusilla refilled her blood-glass, and had a long drink, trying to stall for time.

"I can tell you, but I should warn you, it cannot be untold," Drusilla explained

"Fine," Spike sighed, "What is it?"

"I..." Drusilla began

Drusilla paused, debating on whether or not to tell Spike how she really knew about what was going on.

"_The voices_ tell me that the Watchers Council is planning something," Drusilla lied

/

Then she went on to tell Spike the details of the Cruciamentum. At first, Spike denied it, but then Drusilla showed him the puncture wounds in his arms, from where he had been injected with drugs, and told him about an abandoned building in town where she had seen suspicious activity. Needing to know, Spike journeyed to the building. He did not like what he saw. Not one bit.

/

The Summers' house…

/

Spike dug an old shoebox out of his wardrobe, and opened it, revealing the bottle that Ethan Rayne had given him weeks ago, which allegedly contained a pill that would give him one hour of above-average strength and speed. Spike swallowed it without a moment's hesitation. At first, nothing happened, but then Spike shuddered, feeling a powerful sensation going through his body. Although he didn't have all of his powers back, he had the ones he needed. His eyesight was slightly less blury (but not completely fixed), his clothes felt lighter, and he was slightly stronger than he was at full-power, which would make up for his lack of fighting skills.

/

The slayer changed into the clothes he needed: thick leather jacket, black pants, motorcycle boots. He took his sawn-off shotgun out from under the bed, and loaded it. Then he composed a note:

"I am Spike Summers," Spike muttered what he wrote down, "For the past three years, I've let the Watchers Council push and order me around, but that ends tonight. They went too far. Chances are if you're reading this I'm either dead or in a lot of trouble, but I completely stand by what I'm about to do."

/

The Sunnydale Arms Motel…

/

Blair placed the last brick over the window.

"Well, that's that done," he announced

Blair sat down on the camp-bed. Hobson came back into the room.

"Tea's ready," he announced

He handed a mug to Blair. The two of them sat and drank quietly. Then Quentin Travers re-entered the room.

"Well, gentlemen, have you finished?" Travers asked

"Yes," Hobson replied

"Windows boarded up?"

"Check."

"Did you place the locks on the door?"

"Check."

"And our…'guest'?"

"He's secure. We've prepared for any scenario…"

Suddenly, there was a loud crash. The three Watchers turned to the crated vampire.

"Was that him?" Blair asked nervously

"I don't think so…" Travers replied

Then there was another crash. The Watchers realized the sound was coming from the front door. Then it came again.

"We're under attack," Hobson realized

"Don't worry," Travers said, "That door's been triple-reinforced. It would take a vampire an hour to knock it down."

Then the door burst open, revealing Spike.

/

"Summers, before you do anything hasty…" Travers began

Spike extended his shotgun and fired it at Hobson's kneecap. He screeched with pain and fell to the ground, clutching his leg. Spike attempted to reload, but then Blair kicked the gun out of his hands. Before Blair could do another attack, Spike punched Blair in the face, horrifically bruising him; the pain was enough to put him into shock. Travers was shocked by the damage Spike had done to the man with just one punch. Then he saw that Spike had placed bolts between his fingers.

"You like these?" Spike asked, noticing that Travers was looking at his bolts, "You know, Mum got worried when I went to a football match and a riot broke out, but it was actually quite educational."

Spike grabbed Travers by the tie, and shoved him against the wall.

"I'm guessing you're Quentin Travers?" Spike asked

"Yes," Travers growled, furious at Spike's defiance and lack of respect

"Head of the Watchers council? Guy who orchestrated this?"

"Yes."

Spike let the man go, giving him a bit of distance.

"Do you have ANYTHING to say to me?" Spike asked

Travers didn't want to set Spike off by saying the wrong thing.

"Go on," Spike said, "Anything?"

Travers realized talking his way out wouldn't work. He pretended to see something behind Spike.

"Rupert, what are you doing here?" Travers asked

Spike turned around to see if Giles really was there. Travers quickly pulled out a knife and advanced to Spike, trying to incapacitate him. Spike sensed him coming; he spun around, and grabbed Travers' wrist. He gave it a good twist, breaking the man's arm and forcing him down on his knees.

"Bad move," Spike growled

With his spare hand, Spike tore a plank of wood off the wall.

"But if it means anything, I was gonna to do this anyway," Spike said, with a sadistic grin

First Spike slammed the plank into Travers' head, knocking him over, then began furiously bashing the plank into Travers' legs, intent on breaking them beyond repair. And he was succeeding.

"This! Is what! You get! For fucking around with a slayer!" Spike yelled, in between bashes

He tossed the plank aside, and looked down at his handiwork. In all likelihood, Travers would never walk again. Then again, considering his age, he'd be lucky if he survived the night.

Spike then gave Travers a powerful kick, for good measure. He smirked at the broken man.

/

The library, sometime later…

/

Giles was on his phone, talking to Hobson.

"Are you sure it was Spike?" Giles asked, "Could it have been something that took on his form, or possessed him?"

"It…it could have been," Hobson said, "He was incredibly strong. You have been giving him the power suppressants, haven't you?"

"Yes. The more pressing matter is how he found out about the Cruciamentum," Giles said, trying to change the subject, "You were discreet, weren't you?"

"Very," Hobson nodded, "We made sure to pick a location where no human would go."

"And you took the anti-psychic precautions?"

"Oh, we made sure of that. But I didn't understand why…?"

Suddenly, the library door opened, revealing Spike. He looked fiercely determined.

"I have to go," Giles said

He hung up the phone, and turned to Spike. Giles wasn't sure how this could have happened; he had planned everything down to the letter, making sure nothing could go wrong, that Spike wouldn't find out about the test until it began.

"Spike, I know you're angry," Giles said, "You have every right to be mad, but you shouldn't have attacked those Watchers."

"What about the one I killed?" Spike asked

"What?" Giles asked, worried

"The Watcher I killed," Spike said, "I strangled him to death, because he betrayed me."

Spike reached into his jacket, taking out a length of thick wire. He gripped it tight in his hands and walked toward Giles, preparing to kill him...

/

/

/

To be continued…


	64. Helpless: Part 3

/

/

/

Spike had the wire tightly around Giles' neck. Giles thrashed around to try and throw Spike off; they had been fighting across the library and were out in the school hall. The Watcher would already be dead if he hadn't slipped his fingers under the wire. But Spike was tightening his grip, and Giles wasn't strong enough to keep going. He then had an idea. The man got one hand free, and began hitting Spike's watch with it. Spike just thought it was a futile attempt by Giles to save his own life. Giles hit the same spot repeatedly.

"God, Rupert, at least die with _some_ dignity," Spike growled

Then Giles managed to strike Spike's watch hard enough; the seals on the watch's face broke, and the face sprung open. Spike saw inside the watch. There was a small pill in there, identical to the one Ethan Rayne had given Spike. There was also an inscription on the other side of the watch's face that said: "_Take this now! - Ripper_".

"I bloody well hope that's what I think it is," Spike said, letting Giles go

/

Spike had calmed down. Giles had given him a glass of whiskey and sat him down in his office.

"I've been planning this for months," Giles explained, "I've always hated the Cruciamentum, from the moment I learned of it."

Giles pointed to the watch.

"Xander helped me build this," Giles explained, "It was on a timer, it would have opened up when you arrived at the abandoned hotel. Then you would have faced the vampire at full-strength, with the council none the wiser; I even signed it 'Ripper' so only you would know it was from me. I know it's not an ideal situation, but I knew you could have defeated the vampire at full-strength."

"Did you ever think of just telling me this?" Spike asked

"That was my first thought," Giles explained, "But I was afraid that if I told you then you might…"

Giles paused for a moment.

"…do exactly what you did do," he completed, realizing the irony

Spike sighed.

"I…I can't believe this happened," he said, "I nearly choked you to death."

"But you didn't," Giles reminded

"Yeah, but still…what if something had gone wrong with the watch? Or I could have killed you before…"

Spike took a deep breath.

"You know what? I should really get going," Spike realized, "Good knowing you, Ripper."

He got up, walking to the door.

"Spike, where are you going?" Giles asked

"Gotta leave town," Spike said, "Maybe civilization, haven't decided yet."

"You can't do that," Giles said

"Have to," Spike said, "I **don't** think the council will let this slide."

"I don't think you should act so rashly," Giles said, "If I can convince the council you won't do this again, then might go easy on you. Just stay calm, maintain a low profile. I promise I'll do all I can to smooth things over."

/

A few days later…

/

Spike sat with Oz in the library. Giles had gone to meet with the Council, and had told Spike to wait at the library for his return. Oz was with Spike for support.

"How are your powers?" Oz asked

"Almost back," Spike said, "Except the healing's being slow."

Spike rolled back his red shirt-sleeve, revealing several self-inflicted cuts.

"They're taking ages to close," Spike explained, sounding annoyed

He rolled his sleeve back up.

"I can't believe Giles drugged you," Oz said, "That's like…illegal or something."

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "I found the drugs he used on me."

Spike reached into his coat, hanging on the back of his chair, and took out a few small bottles.

"Anti-adrenaline and muscle-relaxant," Spike explained

"Why was he giving you morphine?" Oz asked

"What?" Spike noticed the third bottle, "Oh, that's for both of us. I nicked it from a pharmacy, for when mum's out of town next month."

"Cool," Oz nodded, approvingly

/

Giles entered the library.

"How did it go?" Oz asked, "Will Spike be alright?"

Giles didn't speak. He stood aside, allowing three Watchers to enter the room. There was Quentin Travers, in a wheelchair, a woman in her late twenties, and one stern looking thirty-something man.

"What's going on?" Spike asked

"They're here to determine your…fate," Giles explained

Giles felt terrible; as if he had betrayed Spike, or made things worse for him.

"Don't be so dramatic, Rupert," Travers said, "This is a trial."

He turned to Spike.

"I need the approval of two Watchers to have the slayer…detained," Travers explained

Spike did not like the over-eager way that Travers said 'detained'.

/

The woman stepped forward. She held a clipboard in her hand.

"Spike Summers, identify yourself," the woman demanded, in a British accent

"Oh, Spike left half an hour ago," Spike said, "I'm his twin-brother, Spite Summers."

His sense of humor did not please the Watchers.

"I should advise you to comply with us," the woman warned

"And if I don't, what will you do?" Spike asked

"We have agents surrounding the building. They can strike at any time if you become uncooperative."

Spike looked to Oz.

"She's telling the truth," Oz said, after sniffing the air, "Ten guys. At least."

"You stand on trial for attacking and crippling Mr. Travers," the woman said, "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"My defense?" Spike repeated, "Bloke pretty much ordered my execution. S'his own fault this happened."

"We go through this with every slayer on their eighteenth, it's a time-honored test," the woman said, "Your actions were simply that of wanton violence."

"Actually, wanton implies lack of motive," Oz chimed in, "Spike had a motive, revenge."

The woman was clearly irked by Oz. She hadn't expected a clear-thinker to be at the trial.

"Your actions were still unbefitting of a slayer," the man started talking, "You should respect authority."

"Yeah, Kendra lived like that, fat lot of good it did for her," Spike reminded

"Perhaps she should have read the slayers' handbook closer?" Travers taunted Spike by insulting his fallen friend

Spike didn't let the insult faze him.

"The handbook's just some fat thing filled with useless information," Spike said, looking directly at Travers, "And it's covered in a cheap jacket, plus the **spine** is damaged. What good is it?"

Too far. The woman, the man, and Travers were not impressed.

"Permission to treat the accused as uncooperative?" the woman asked

"Granted," Travers said

The woman retrieved a slip of paper from her briefcase, and handed it to Spike. It had been filled out in advance, citing 'hostile behavior' as a reason for arrest.

"On behalf of the Watchers Council, you are under arrest," the woman dictated, "You will be taken to the Council headquarters in London, and detained until a fitting punishment is decided."

The woman looked down at Spike.

"You can either come with us willingly, or we can have our agents sedate you and you will be shipped to London," the woman threatened

Spike looked around, at the situation. He could knock out the woman, then make his way to the bookshelf, and retrieve the handgun hidden in a hollowed out math book. He could kill the man and Travers, give Giles a minor wound so he wouldn't look suspicious, then kill the Watchers surrounding the building and leave town. Oz could see that Spike was planning something; he knew that look, and what usually resulted from it.

"What if we offered you something in return for Spike getting off with a warning?" Oz managed to say

Travers rolled his eyes.

"And what could _you_ possibly have to offer us?" he asked, condescendingly, "I doubt you get enough pocket money for something of value to us."

"The identity of the second slayer," Oz stated

The Watchers exchanged glances. Spike looked back to Oz, angered, but knowing Oz was doing what he had to do.

"You can provide the location of the second slayer?" the man asked

"Yeah, if you let Spike go," Oz said

"Or you could just tell us," Travers reminded, "Hopefully without us resorting to...harsher measures?"

At that point, Oz made his eyes turn pitch-black, and he let out an inhuman growl. The suddenness of it even scared Spike and Giles; they had no idea that Oz could do that.

"Why don't I tell my pack you said that?" Oz threatened

Travers realized he had no other option.

"Very well," Travers sighed, "Tell me who the second slayer is, and Spike will get off with a warning."

Oz was reluctant to do so. It was hard to get the words out of his mouth.

"Her name's Faith," Oz said, "She goes to this school."

It all made sense to Travers, why they couldn't find the second slayer; she had been cloaked by the hellmouth's energies.

"Good," Travers nodded, "Tear up the arrest form."

The woman followed the order, taking the paper back from Spike.

"Now leave," Travers told Oz and Spike, "I have business to discuss with Mr. Giles, concerning the new slayer."

/

Spike and Oz left. Giles was left with his co-workers.

"Well, I assume I'll be Watching the second slayer until her Watcher is assigned?" Giles asked

"No," Travers said, bluntly, "You're fired."

"On what grounds?" Giles demanded

"Improper training, lax standards in discipline….but mostly because I want to punish Summers," Travers said, "He has too much independence, no respect for authority. And that is useless to the cause. It would be best if you had no further contact with him."

"I'm not going anywhere," Giles insisted, standing his ground

"No, well, I didn't expect you would adhere to that. However, if you interfere with the new Watcher, or countermand his authority in any way, you will be dealt with. Are we clear?"

"Oh, we're very clear," Giles said, through gritted teeth

/

A few more days later…

/

Spike, Giles, and Oz sat on chairs on the balcony of Giles' apartment. They had finished watching the football match and Oz and Spike needed a smoke. Giles joined them.

"Maybe I should join a wolf pack," Oz said, "Have some kinda backup for my hollow threats."

"Local pack or National?" Giles asked

"Probably just sit in on some local meetings," Oz said, "You think they'd let that?"

"I think they would," Giles said

Spike exhaled smoke from his lungs smoothly and slowly.

"You want some of this?" Spike asked

He was offering a joint to Giles. Giles was about to politely refuse, when he realized that he wasn't a Watcher anymore, he didn't have as many responsibilities. He took the joint, and inhaled.

"So...have you heard anything about the new Watcher?" Oz asked

Giles exhaled a line of smoke.

"The council won't tell me who he is, but he'll arrive next week," Giles informed

"Hope he's nothing like my last Watcher," Spike said

Giles raised an eyebrow.

"Before you," Spike specified

"You're talking about Merrick?" Giles asked, surprised, "He was lovely! You couldn't find a nicer man."

"Oh, yeah, I agree," Spike said, "Really hit me and Wesley hard when he died."

"Then why wouldn't you want another guy like him?" Oz asked

"I didn't mean Merrick, I meant the scumbag I had after him," Spike sighed, in an annoyed tone

"Oh," Giles realized who Spike was referring to, "Yes, I...heard about him."

"Roger Wyndham-Pryce," Spike explained, for Oz's benefit, "Complete bastard. Constantly put me in danger, almost for no reason at all."

"Did he get fired?" Oz asked

"Uh, no, he…also died," Spike said, "Total accident. Three weeks after he became my Watcher, he got trapped in the gym with some vampires."

"The gym that you burnt down?" Oz asked

"He was already dead when I burnt it down," Spike explained

Spike didn't like to think of that night; he had a feeling that something else had gone down there, and he did **not** want to know what it was.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	65. Bad Girls: Part 1

_**A/N: Okay, a few things to say**  
><em>

_**1) I'm going to take a two week break from this fic; my dad's visiting me, and I won't have time to do much writing.  
><strong>_

_**2) I know the way Wesley acts in this chapter is very unlike his first appearance. I thought it would be more fun to have Wesley act like Seasons-Four-and-Five-of-Angel Wesley, instead of being obstructive and panicky.**_

_**3) Would anyone mind if I re-wrote 'The Wish'? The thing is, when I uploaded it, I was feeling kind of low, and I ended up not using a lot of cool ideas I had for it.**_

_/  
><em>

_/  
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_/_

_January, 1997, (a few months before Spike moved to Sunnydale), Los Angeles  
><em>

_/_

_Spike was in the school parking lot, fighting off three vampires. He was doing alright, but not great. From a distance, Merrick and Wesley were watching him. Wesley was eagerly holding his crossbow, ready to kill the vampires if Spike couldn't._

_"He's improving," Wesley noted_

_"Yes," Merrick agreed_

_Spike kicked one vampire in the face then tried to break another one's arm. He did it wrong, and ended up getting backed into a corner._

_"Wesley, now!" Merrick ordered_

_Wesley lifted up the crossbow, and fired, killing one vampire. He reloaded, and killed the next one. The third vampire knew something was up, and ran._

_/_

_Wesley and Merrick walked over to Spike._

_"Why did you have to interfere?" Spike demanded, "I almost had him!"_

_"Spike, you were cornered!" Wesley argued_

_"Yeah, perfect time to strike!" Spike insisted_

_"Now, let's not argue," Merrick interrupted, "You both did well. William…sorry, Spike, your fighting has improved considerably. Wesley, that was excellent use of the crossbow."_

_Merrick took out his wallet, and handed Wesley some money._

_"Why don't you two take a dinner break?" Merrick suggested_

_/_

_Spike and Wesley got into Wesley's car. When Spike had been told that a student-Watcher would be assigned to Merrick, he wasn't exactly thrilled, but he had come to like Wesley. It was good having someone to talk to about his issues. Spike was also grateful to Merrick; not many Watchers would move from England to LA with their slayer._

_/_

_The young slayer and watcher went to a restaurant, taking Wesley's car. They went inside, and sat down at a booth. The waitress took their drink orders: two beers. When she left, Wesley leaned in closer to Spike._

_"Where did you get that fake ID anyway?" Wesley whispered_

_"It's not really a fake ID, it belonged to this guy who kind of looked like me," Spike explained_

_"Can I see?"_

_Spike handed Wesley his ID._

_"John Hart?" Wesley asked_

_/_

_The waitress bought them their drinks._

_"Did you like that CD I leant you?" Wesley asked_

_"Billy Idol?" Spike asked, "Yeah, he's alright. Bit normal, though."_

_"Normal?" Wesley asked, slightly shocked_

_"Well, compared to the Ramones," Spike added_

_"Yes, I suppose," Wesley agreed_

_"And good hair," Spike added_

_"You could learn a thing or two from him," Wesley muttered_

_"What's that supposed to mean?" Spike accused_

_"Well…" Wesley's eyes darted to Spike's long brown hair, "Something different would be…"_

_Spike held up his hand to silence Wesley._

_"Do you see those two girls at the counter?" Spike grinned, "They're checking us out."_

_"Really?"_

_Wesley began to turn around._

_"No, don't look, use the mirror," Spike referred to the mirror behind him_

_Wesley looked in the mirror. He was struck with a look of fear._

_"Spike, are they standing right by the bar?" Wesley asked_

_"Yeah," Spike nodded, "You see the redhead? I call dibs."_

_"I can't see either of them," Wesley said_

_"How can you not…?" then Spike remembered Wesley was looking in the mirror, "Oh."_

_"So what's the plan?" Wesley asked_

_/_

_A few minutes later, the alley behind the bar…_

_/_

_The two of them tricked the vampire girls into the alley behind the restaurant, and began to fight them. Spike used a stake his vampire, Wesley used his martial arts skills._

_"That was intense," Spike said, wiping the dust off his brown long coat_

_"Quite," Wesley agreed, "We're getting very good at this."_

/

Present day (which in this case is early 1999)

/

Spike and Faith were in the cemetery, fighting off two vampires. They both wore black shirts and pants under their tan-leather tunics, and carried two swords: one long, one small. They managed to knock Spike and Faith down on the ground.

"So really, never?" Faith asked

"Faith, not now!" Spike yelled

The two of them launched their feet in the air, kicking the vampires away.

"I'm curious!" Faith insisted, "Like, never ever?"

Spike roundhouse kicked one of the vampires.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Spike groaned

He grabbed the other vampire and twisted his arm.

"You can not…!" Spike slammed his forehead into the vampire's nose, "…get Xander...to dump...Willow!"

"Why not?" Faith asked

"_**This**_ is why not!" Spike said

Spike side-swept Faith's leg, hard.

"Ow!" she complained

Faith responded to Spike's attack by punching him in the gut. Spike slammed his hands into her head, then she hit him in the face, knocking Spike down.

"Bloody hell," Spike recovered, "Didn't think your slayer powers were that good..."

Faith didn't want Spike to catch onto how much secret training she had done with her adoptive father.

"Guess girls just make better slayers than boys," Faith shrugged

They turned their attention to the retreating vampires. But then realized they were gone.

/

The library, the next day…

/

Wesley Wyndham-Pryce stood by the library's largest table. Giles had been expecting one of the council's lackeys, but Wesley was different. He stood there in his turtleneck sweater and brown winter coat, unloading some books and weapons from boxes. Willow was admiring him from the other table. Xander looked at him enviously.

"I know carrying the original Sanskrit is a bit pretentious, but considering the multiple interpretations of the text, it's best to keep the original around," Wesley explained, "But don't worry, this is just a replica. The real one is in a safe deposit box. And…"

Wesley looked up from his book, realizing he had been talking for a while.

"I'm sorry, am I boring you?" he asked, "I'll stop."

"No, please continue," Giles requested

"Well…" Wesley picked up a wooden container, "If you're interested, I've got this…"

Then the doors opened, revealing Spike and Faith. Spike saw who was there; the surprise nearly knocked him to the ground.

"Wesley?" Spike asked

"Hello, Spike..." Wesley replied, clearing his throat

The two of them stood awkwardly for a moment. They hadn't seen each other for a couple of years, and they had changed a lot; both were older and more experienced.

"So…you're my new Watcher?" Spike asked

"Y-yes, it appears so," Wesley said

The two of them exchanged awkward glances.

"How…have you been?" Spike asked

"Um, Good," Wesley nodded

They tried to think of other conversation topics.

"I'm Faith, by the way," Faith raised her hand, "Also a slayer."

"Ah, good," Wesley turned his attention to Faith, "I trust Spike has informed you of the supernatural world?"

"Yep," Faith nodded, "Vamps, wolves, robots…"

"Robots?" Wesley asked, confused

"Comes up more than you'd think," Spike explained, "They show up every once in a while, good for a few laughs, except something bad usually happens immediately afterwards."

"And we patrolled last night," Faith continued, "Ran into some dueling vampires."

"Yeah, meant to ask you about that," Spike turned to Giles, "They carried these weird swords, like, one long one and one small one…"

"Um, Spike, you should probably be telling me that," Wesley corrected, "Whilst I do value Mr. Giles' knowledge and experience, I _am_ your Watcher."

"Okay," Spike said, "So, these guys were carrying two swords, one long, one small."

"And they had jewels on them," Faith added

"That sounds familiar..." Wesley said

He took out a thick, ancient volume from his box, and opened it up. He and Giles began browsing through it.

"El Eliminati..." Wesley and Giles started simultaneously

They stopped talking.

"You go ahead," Giles said

Wesley cleared his throat.

"El Eliminati," Wesley read, "A cult of dueling vampires originating in the fifteenth century. Originally a deadly threat, their numbers lessened due to anti-vampire activity and…pointless dueling."

Wesley moved the book so the slayers could see it.

"Were those the swords?" Wesley asked

"Yeah, that's them," Spike said

"Now…if I know my Sunnydale history correctly, El Eliminati were driven out of Sunnydale almost a hundred years ago," Wesley said, "Apparently, their leader, a demon named Balthazar was killed, but left behind an amulet which supposedly gave him strength. It was buried with a man named…"

Wesley flipped a few pages in the book.

"Gleaves," Wesley finished

"Could the Eliminati be after the amulet?" Giles asked, "For some kind of ritual?"

"Or maybe even for sentimental reasons," Wesley said, "But to be sure, I suggest Faith and Spike retrieve the amulet from Gleaves' crypt."

/

Later…

/

Faith stood in the mayor's office, sitting on the desk and drinking a glass of milk.

"…and when we went to the crypt to get the amulet, some of the duelists were there," Faith explained, "So we kicked their…"

Faith paused, remembering The Mayor's rules about cursing.

"We defeated them," Faith corrected herself, "Except Spike got the amulet, and now Wesley has it."

"Well, I think that's for the best," The Mayor said, "They'll keep it safe."

"I thought you wanted it?" Faith asked

"I just needed it kept away from Balthazar," The Mayor replied, "Anyway, how's your slayer-buddy doing?"

"He got really awkward when he saw Wesley," Faith explained, "Obviously something happened between them."

The Mayor looked squeamish.

"You don't mean…?" he began

"No," Faith shook her head

"Oh, good," The Mayor laughed, breathing a sigh of relief, "I thought you were referring to...well, the kind of thing I don't allow in my town."

The Mayor sat down behind his desk. Faith slid off of it.

"But this new player in town, the Watcher, might be a hazard. We'll need to keep Spike away from him."

"How?" Faith asked

The Mayor picked up his reading glasses, and went through his rolodex, looking for an evil plan.

"Ah," The Mayor plucked the card out, "He'll go through something traumatic, isolating him from everyone but you. We'll need a sacrifice."

"We kill someone?" Faith asked

"Not we," the Mayor said, "You will."

"Okay," Faith was eager to please The Mayor, "Who's my target?"

"Let's consult a higher power..."

/

The Mayor opened the large cabinet in his office. Inside was a centuries-old statue of a terrifying snake demon. He and Faith kneeled before it. They chanted a short prayer in an archaic language.

"Oh, Great Olvikan," The Mayor lifted his head up, "We implore you to send forth a sacrifice."

Then the door to the office opened, revealing the Deputy Mayor, Alan Finch. Faith and The Mayor quickly got up, not wanting to arouse suspicion.

"Sorry, was that vase outside expensive?" he asked, "I knocked it over on my way in."

The Mayor looked at him with nothing but contempt.

"I-I'll go clean it up," Finch said, nervously backing out of the room

He closed the door. The Mayor looked to Faith.

"Him?" Faith asked

The Mayor nodded.

/

Later…

/

Faith and Spike were out on Maple Court at night; Faith had said she wanted to go 'shopping'. In reality, she just needed Spike in that area at the right time.

"Seriously, nothing's open this late," Spike sighed, "Let's just go to the cemetery."

"Just trust me," Faith assured

She walked down to the sporting goods store.

"We're facing a cult of vampires, right?" Faith asked, "We'll need weapons."

She admired the bow and set of arrows through the shop window.

"I'm getting that," Faith said

She prepared to kick down the door, when Spike threw a brick through the window.

"If you wanted to shoplift, why didn't you just say so?" Spike rolled his eyes

"I-I've figured out what being a slayer is," Faith attempted to explain, "It's simple: want, take..."

"Yeah, obviously," Spike said, "Now hurry up. We've got about ninety seconds before the police arrive."

/

The two of them entered the store. Faith went to the archery counter. She was going to get the bow, when she saw a nice crossbow beneath the counter. She smashed it, and pulled it out. Spike rolled his eyes and shook his head; the girl was all smash and trash, no respect for the art of thievery. Nonetheless, Spike took a shotgun off the rack.

"Do you see a saw anywhere?" Spike asked

"Behind the counter," Faith indicated

/

The two of them left the store, riding on a crime-high.

"So, where to next?" Faith asked, "We could go to the cemetery, I could..."

Faith suggested something to Spike. He tried to ignore it.

"Come on," Faith moved closer to Spike, "We're young, hot, and..."

Then she saw a policeman standing in her path. The two slayers froze.

"Don't move," the policeman ordered, reaching for his gun

Spike grinned, and lunged at the policeman, tackling him to the ground before he could draw a breath. Faith watched as Spike punched the man into unconsciousness.

"Right," Spike got up, dusting himself off, "Where were we?"

"You just beat up a policeman," Faith said, impressed

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "It's been on my list for a while. This tosser tried to shoot me last summer."

Faith looked at Spike, impressed by his display of violence. The two of them walked towards each other, fueled by adrenaline and teenage hormones. They nearly made a passionate display of affection, when there was a loud scream from a nearby alley.

"Let's go!" Spike said

/

The two of them found a woman being attacked by five vampires; they quickly set to work fighting them off. It didn't take long; they killed them just in time for Alan Finch to arrive. The Mayor had told Finch there was a family emergency and he had to go find Faith.

"Hey!" Finch called

Spike saw the man, and mistook him for a vampire; the male slayer grabbed Finch by the jacket, and swung him into the wall. A second too late, he realized the man was human.

"Faith, no!" Spike yelled

Then Faith jammed a stake into Finch's heart. She was at first shocked with herself, but then felt the surge of power that came from taking a life.

"Oh no..." Spike murmured

Finch collapsed against the wall.

"It's gonna be alright," Spike lied, trying to calm the man, "Don't worry, we can get you to a hospital, this is nothing, doctors can…"

Spike realized the man was dead; he stared at him for several moments. Faith looked on the sight eagerly. For a moment, she thought she had accomplished her mission, and had broken Spike. The Mayor also came to this conclusion, nodded approvingly, and walked away.

/

"So…Willow mentioned that the council cleaned up a murder for you before?" Faith asked, putting on a worried facade, "Can they do the same now?"

Spike continued staring at the body. Faith smirked at him while he couldn't see.

"No," Spike suddenly spoke

"Huh?" Faith asked

"Put the body behind that dumpster," Spike ordered, "I'll go call Wes. He'll help us get rid of the evidence."

"We have to do this ourselves?" Faith asked, "What about the council...?"

"If the council finds out about this, I'm screwed," Spike said, "Wes owes me a favor, he'll keep this to himself."

"But..." Faith began

"No time to argue."

"But Spike...!"

"Trust me, we want to do this _before_ rigor mortis sets in," Spike urged

/

/

/

To be continued…


	66. Bad Girls: Part 2

_**A/N:**_

_*** So, the thing is, I don't think I'm going to be able to update this story as frequently as I used to (my life is getting a bit busier; nothing I can't handle, but I won't have as much time for writing). I'll always try and make time for this fic, and I promise that I'll never abandon it (absolute-worst-case-scenario, I skip ahead to the ending).**_

_*** I've updated my profile page and added a section where I wrote some abandoned ideas for this fic. Might be worth checking out.**_

_*** I decided that I will go ahead with my Supernatural-Crossover-idea, and it will happen in-between season 3 and 4 (Before the gang starts University).**_

_/_

_/_

/

Present day…

/

Wesley soon arrived in the alley, and surveyed the damage.

"How bad is it?" Wesley asked

"Faith staked him," Spike said, "Came outta nowhere."

"Where is he?" Wesley asked

"Behind that dumpster," Spike pointed to it

Wesley walked behind the dumpster, examining the body. The stake wound was too obvious to be passed off as a mugging or accidental.

"We'll definitely need to dispose of him," Wesley concluded

"Did you bring the stuff to do it?" Spike asked

"It's in the car," Wesley informed

/

The three vampire-hunters took the body and placed it in the back of a stolen car, wrapping it in garbage bags. Wesley made sure that the bags completely sealed the body off, not wanting to risk blood spilling out. Then they spent fifteen minutes scrubbing the bloodstains off of the alley. Finally, they drove the stolen car to the town river, at which point they disembarked, and pushed the car into the icy lake water. It sunk slowly; Faith was desperate to leave, but Wesley insisted they waited until all the air bubbles had disappeared. Faith had expected to make a quick kill and leave, but being forced to deal with the body had made her confront what she did, and she didn't like it.

"Now we're done," Wesley informed

He straightened out his jacket.

"Thanks for doing this," Spike said

"No problem," Wesley replied

"Any chance we can NOT get the council involved?" Spike added

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it," Wesley assured, "If they ask, I'll say tonight we engaged in a lengthy study session."

/

A few hours earlier…

/

Willow was at the Espresso Pump, slowly moving forward in the line. She was trying to decide what she would do with her night, since Xander was spending time with Giles. She could go to a movie…alone. Or have a quiet night at home…alone.

"Can I help you?" the clerk asked

"Can I have a single one-pump mocha?" Willow asked

The clerk handed a Styrofoam coffee cup over to Willow. She looked around the shop, and found an empty table. She sat down for less than a minute before the awkwardness got to her. Although she was surrounded by people, she felt completely alone.

"Can I borrow that ashtray?" someone asked

"Sure…" Willow sighed

She picked the ashtray up, and turned to hand it to the woman at the next table. The woman had dark brown hair (recently dyed), and wore sunglasses and a large black sunhat. There was something familiar about her…

"Buffy?" Willow gasped

/

Five minutes later...

/

Willow had pulled her chair up to Buffy's table.

"…now this was worth coming back for," Buffy said, sipping her coffee, "Sunnydale's the only place that can make this right."

"You came back for coffee?" Willow asked

"Oh no," Buffy shook her head, "I came back to look for something in town. I read about this ring, it lets the wearer walk in the sun."

"So where is it?" Willow asked

"It's hidden somewhere," Buffy explained, "I think it might even be underground…"

Then Buffy had a thought.

"Or…it could be in the jewelry store at the mall," she said, "We could go look for it?"

"Um, I can't really…"

Then Willow realized what Buffy was implying.

"Okay," Willow smiled

"Let's go," Buffy said, eagerly

/

The mall, a few hours later…

/

The vampire and the witch sat down at a table in the food court, placing their shopping bags on the empty chairs next to them.

"Wow," Willow grinned, exhaling, "Wow…"

Willow was riding on a high from the shopping spree; Buffy had shown her the inner intricacies of shopping, the secrets and hidden pleasures of it.

"So, having fun?" Buffy asked

"Oh yeah," Willow nodded, unable to stop smiling, "I don't think I've tried that many shoes on in my life."

Willow paused.

"Are you sure we can afford all this?" she asked

"Oh yeah," Buffy nodded, "I cleared out Angelus' bank accounts right before Spike sent him to hell. Guy was a jerk, but he really thought ahead."

Buffy began eating the double-cheeseburger in front of her. Willow nibbled at her salad, envying Buffy's vampire metabolism.

"So, I've been thinking," Buffy said, "Day-walking's overrated, and that ring is probably just a myth."

"Okay…" Willow nodded, not sure where Buffy was going

"And it's dawned on me that the two of us have a common enemy," Buffy continued, "And it's about time we did something about her."

"What are you saying?" Willow asked

"I'm thinking…matricide," Buffy grinned

"You're going to kill my mom?" Willow gasped

"What? No!" Buffy said quickly, "I meant Drusilla. You know, because she's my sire, and that's like…it's symbolic."

"Oh, got it," Willow nodded

Buffy lifted up her shirt, revealing a tattoo on her left flank.

"This protects me from any psychic detection," Buffy informed, "If you distract Drusilla, I can sneak up and stake her from behind. Will you help me?"

/

The Summers' house…

/

Spike stuck his keys in the door, and opened it up. He and Faith hadn't spoken during the walk home. Spike could tell Faith was battling with her feelings, and didn't want to say the wrong thing.

"Look, Faith, I know what you're going through," Spike finally broke the silence

"Oh, what, you've killed someone before?" Faith snorted

"Yes," Spike said

Faith was surprised; she thought The Mayor had told her everything about Spike.

"You have?"

"Yeah," Spike said, "First week in Sunnydale, I accidentally killed Willow and Xander's best friend."

"And they forgave you?" Faith asked, optimistically

"They don't know it was me," Spike explained, "See, Giles faked some medical reports. Figured if Red and Xander thought a vampire killed Jesse then they'd get off my back."

Faith made a mental note to relay the information to her father.

/

Spike opened the front door of the house, and opened it up. He led Faith to the basement, where the washing machine was.

"You just stay here, throw your clothes in the wash," Spike advised, "I gotta go get changed."

"Uh, why do I have to wash my clothes?" Faith asked

Spike indicated Faith's shirt and jeans. There were several small but noticeable flicks of blood on them.

"Oh…" Faith noticed them for the first time

"I'll get you a robe," Spike said

/

Spike walked up to his room, and began changing his clothes. He was down to only his jeans when he heard someone enter the house. He was alarmed, but realized from the footsteps that it was just Drusilla. Then he remembered that Faith hadn't met Drusilla, and might mistake her for an evil vampire.

"Oh bugger!" Spike groaned

Quickly, he ran downstairs before any misunderstandings could occur.

/

Spike met up with Drusilla in the kitchen.

"Hey!" Spike said, out of breath, "Uh…what are you doing here?"

"Hello Spike," Drusilla said, "I just popped by to tell you about this premonition I had."

"Do you have to tell me now?" Spike sighed

"Um, well, it's important," Drusilla explained, "It concerns…"

Drusilla stopped talking.

"What?" Spike asked

"You're thinking of quotes from Shakespeare plays."

"So?"

"You only do that when you're trying to hide your thoughts from me."

"Well I'm not!" Spike insisted

"Spike, what the hell is going on here?" Faith asked

She walked into the kitchen, in her black underwear. Drusilla looked to Spike, hurt and betrayed. Faith was utterly indifferent.

"Who the hell is she?" Faith asked

"Uh, Faith, this is Drusilla," Spike said, "She wanted to show me her premonition…"

Faith snatched the pieces of paper from Drusilla, and laughed at them.

"Wow, those are some amazing powers," Faith teased, "You should be a weather girl!"

"I don't have to tolerate this," Drusilla asserted herself

She left, angrily slamming the door behind her.

/

Spike walked out after Drusilla, trying to catch up with her. He eventually caught up with her after running down the street, barefoot (he didn't have time to get his shoes).

"Dru, it's not what you think," Spike insisted, "She got blood on her clothes, and was changing. We weren't gonna have sex or anything."

"But you want to," Drusilla reminded, "You were considering it."

"Well…" Spike didn't know how to answer that, "It's not…Dru, that's not fair."

The fact that Spike complained about fairness instead of apologizing confirmed what Drusilla had been dreading.

"Look, Dru..." Spike began

"It's alright," Drusilla said, "I knew. Not by visions. It was only a matter of time."

"But I'm not…!" Spike attempted, "I mean, I don't..."

Spike was filled with confusion. He stopped talking, and let out an aggravated growl.

"So…what are we?" Spike asked

"Well it's obvious that we can't be together anymore," Drusilla stated, "And you have to admit, I'm not really needed around here, am I?"

"Don't say that," Spike urged

"It's true," Drusilla sighed, "Willow and Giles hate me, the demons don't trust me, and with Faith here, you're not exactly lacking in power, are you?"

"Well…what about your visions?" Spike reminded, "They're useful!"

Drusilla paused.

"Actually, they're telling me I should leave," she confessed

"No, you can't do that!" Spike protested

"It will be better if I do. The last time I went against a vision, things went wrong."

"How wrong?"

"I had a vision telling me not to leave the United States, but I defied it and emigrated to Paris."

"What's so bad about that?"

"I arrived there in 1940!"

Spike found it hard to come up with a counter-argument for that.

"...oh," was all he could say

/

Later…

/

Spike walked Faith back to her house. She was wearing some of Spike's spare clothes, and carrying a plastic bag with her wet clothes inside. Spike was too angry at Faith to let her stick around and use the dryer.

"Now don't panic and call the cops," Spike warned, "We dealt with the body, no point in making things complicated."

"Spike, I don't care," Faith insisted

"Well start caring," Spike growled, "It's both our necks on the line if you cock this up."

"I still don't get why we had to get rid of the body," Faith said, "Willow told me the council would clean up…"

"The council's looking for a reason to get me," Spike said, angrily, "If they get one, they'll have me up against the wall."

Faith thought Spike was being literal, that the council would literally execute him for his actions. It further contributed to the crisis of faith she was having.

/

Faith walked down the path to her house, trying to block the dark images from her mind. She stuck her key in the lock, and went inside. She found her father in the kitchen, making a sandwich.

"How did it go?" The Mayor asked, eagerly, "Is the game afoot?"

Um, yeah," Faith nodded, "Spike is...the slayer's pretty broken up. And he's afraid. The body really scared him."

Faith was having trouble looking her adoptive father in the eye; she had been aware of his evil exploits, but had only just gotten a taste of their consequences. She wasn't sure how to feel.

"Well that's excellent," The Mayor grinned

"Sure is," Faith said

"Shall we do something to celebrate?" The Mayor asked, "We could go play..."

"I think I'm just gonna go to bed," Faith said, "Uh...kinda tired."

"Is something bothering you?" The Mayor asked

"I…" Faith stammered, "I…have to go."

She darted into her room. The Mayor shook his head, laughing at Faith's youthfulness.

"Ah, I remember my first kill," he reminisced

The Mayor was so glad he was finally making progress with Spike; he had tried so many plans, and they had all failed epically. The assassins, the curses, even that one time with a canister of nerve gas…but in the end, what had worked was fighting fire with fire.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	67. Bad Girls: Part 3

**A/N: Some things to remember/know about Wesley:**

**** In Angel, it was shown that Wesley had a very distant, antagonistic relationship with his father.**

**** One season 4 episode of Angel showed Wesley owning a weapon called a 'collapsible sword'. It was a wrist-guard that contained a long blade (plus some other stuff).**

**** I've had the idea of Spike and Wesley's history (and the idea of Wesley's father being Spike's former Watcher) ever since I started writing the story, what happens in this chapter isn't just something I suddenly came up with.**

**/**

**On a more realistic note, I'm gonna take another break from this fic. Got my cousin visiting from England, plus DragonCon is this weekend (anyone else going?), so I'll be pretty busy for the next nine days.**

/

/

/

Spike was at The Bronze, playing pool with Oz. Faith sat at a nearby table, staring into the air.

"I really think she should talk to someone," Oz said

"Can't take her to a therapist," Spike reminded

"But she really should," Oz reminded, "In fact, maybe we all should."

"You really think so?" Spike asked, only half-paying attention to Oz, mostly focusing on his shot

"Well you and Faith have signs of PTSD," Oz said, "Willow and Xander should have seen a grief counselor after Jesse died. And your mom's clearly depressed, plus I think Giles is showing early signs of alcoholism."

Spike was intrigued.

"What else?" he asked

"You and I have borderline-serious drug problems," Oz reminded, "The fact that we took that morphine..."

"No, it's different for us," Spike reminded, "My slayer healing and your werewolf metabolism lets us skip the nastier side effects."

"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt," Oz reminded

"I never said you were a river in Egypt," Spike snorted

Oz was confused by that statement.

"What?" he asked

"You said '_Daniel isn't just a river in Egypt_'," Spike reminded

"No, I said 'Denial'," Oz corrected

"Oh…" Spike said, "I thought…"

"That was weird," Oz admitted

The two of them stood quietly for a moment.

"But at the very least, you could talk to Faith," Oz advised, "Then she'd have someone to talk to. Like you had with me."

Spike was about to agree with Oz, when he some footsteps from behind him. He turned around to see Willow and Xander approaching, looking concerned.

"What's going on?" Spike asked

"The Eliminati...they've got Giles and Wesley," Xander said, out of breath, "They really want their amulet back."

Spike silently muttered a curse, then threw on his coat. He was about to ask Faith to come with him, when he realized she was in no condition to fight.

"You'll have to do," Spike grabbed Xander by the sleeve, and began dragging him out

The two of them started to walk away, when Willow stopped Spike.

"What?" Spike asked

"Um, Spike, I wanted to tell you…something about Drusilla," Willow explained

"Not now," Spike sighed

"I was wondering, how would you feel if…"

"Look, Red," Spike moved her slightly away so only she could hear what he said, "She dumped me, alright? Frankly, I don't care what happens to her."

/

The Eliminati's Warehouse…

/

The dueling-vampires stood around the tub that Balthazar, their demon leader, resided in. Wesley and Giles were tied up in a corner, back to back. Wesley was fiddling his hands around, trying to get free of the ropes.

"Do you think we could take them all?" Wesley asked

"It doesn't seem likely," Giles replied, "They're on alert, and armed."

"Then do you see an exit?" Wesley suggested, "Or a roof hatch, where we can make a quick escape?"

"Unless there's one behind that pile of boxes..." Giles began

His idea was proven right when Xander suddenly appeared from behind the boxes, moving discreetly over to the Watchers.

"What are you doing?" Giles hissed

"Relax, I got a plan," Xander whispered

Xander took out his knife, and began cutting the Watchers' ropes.

/

Spike soon arrived and entered the warehouse.

"Men, stand to arms!" Balthazar spat out the order

The vampires all drew their dueling swords, holding them at Spike.

"Do you have my amulet?" Balthazar asked

Reluctantly, Spike reached into his coat, and took out the amulet.

"Right here," Spike informed

"Bring it to me, and do not try anything foolish!" Balthazar hissed

Spike walked through the crowd of vamps. It was like carrying a lit torch through a warehouse of dynamite. He approached the large wooden tub that Balthazar resided in.

"Give it to me, now," Balthazar ordered

Spike held the amulet towards Balthazar, but then in the corner of his eye, he saw Xander standing behind a pile of boxes, giving him the thumbs-up.

"How about instead I do this?" Spike said

Suddenly, he swung the amulet through air, and slit Balthazar's throat with the amulet's sharp edge (Drusilla had given him a few lessons on throat-slitting). The demon let out a horrifying hiss and raised his arms threateningly, but died before he could issue a command.

"Who's next?" Spike demanded

At once, Wesley sprung into action. He grabbed a vampire that stood in front of him, and kicked him into a wooden crate, which splinter. Wesley took the vampire's sword, and swung it in a fencing manner.

"Ready when you are," Wesley informed

Spike dropped the amulet, and began staking left, right, and center. Xander began fighting, but he only fought the vampires who came to him; his skills weren't enough for a full-on attack, so he stuck to using his crude but effective fighting moves alongside Giles. Most of the Eliminati fought facing the humans, but one of them attempted to sneak up on Spike. Wesley saw this, and acted quick and rashly, using a hidden weapon he promised he would never use again. He lashed out his wrist, and a sword-blade shot out of the gauntlet beneath his sleeves. It was just long enough to reach the neck of the vampire sneaking up on Spike. Unfortunately, Spike turned around just in time to see the sword retract into Wesley's wrist-guard. He saw enough of the sword to realize it had bloodstains on it, old ones.

"How long have you had that?" Spike asked

Wesley hadn't expected Spike to see the weapon.

"A-about two weeks," Wesley lied, "I bought it in England, before I…"

"Wes," Spike interrupted

"Three years," Wesley confessed

Spike looked at Wesley in a different light.

"You killed him, didn't you?" Spike asked

"…yes," Wesley admitted

They were referring to the night that Spike's Watcher, Wesley's father, had died. Spike and Wes had been separately patrolling the school perimeter for vampires, and they returned to the gym to find Wesley's father had been killed by a stab wound. In response, Spike and Wesley led the vampires into the gym, and burned it down. Spike had always thought that the vampires had killed the Watcher, because they were the only ones in the area who used swords to kill, but upon seeing Wesley with a hidden sword (that he had had for a while), Spike realized the truth.

"You know…" Wesley began, "Um…secret keeping is a two way streak."

Wesley hoped that Spike remembered Wesley's discreet disposal of a body the previous night.

"I know..." Spike muttered, reluctantly accepting the facts

/

The Mansion, later...

/

Drusilla sat in front of her fireplace, having a late-night cup of tea. She had just gotten her setup organized, when she heard the mansion's doors open, and footsteps that drew nearer. Drusilla recognized the footsteps as Willow's. The vampiress put down her teacup, and walked downstairs to the foyer, where Willow waited timidly.

"H-hey Drusilla," Willow stammered

"Hello," Drusilla replied, with a tiny hint of contempt, "What's going on?"

"Uh, I came to talk to you," Willow explained

"What about?" Drusilla asked

"It's, um, something that Giles said," Willow said, "He said...uh, he wanted me to warn you about...something."

"What?" Drusilla asked, growing tired of Willow

Sneakily, Buffy entered the foyer, treading silently in from the garden entrance. In her hand was a sharp stake.

"He said…" Willow began, "Um, he said…that there's a monster that's trying to..."

Buffy lifted up her stake, preparing to strike.

"Look out!" Willow blurted out

Drusilla turned around, but not quick enough to stop Buffy. Luckily, Buffy's stake only hit Drusilla in her shoulder, not her heart. Buffy attempted to get the stake out, to no avail.

"Um…can I go for best of three?" Buffy asked

Drusilla grabbed Buffy by the throat, and squeezed tightly, embedding her sharp nails into Buffy's tender skin. Buffy didn't stand by and let this go on; she pulled a knife out of her pocket, and stabbed Drusilla in the side of her throat. The knife had tiny crucifixes embossed on the blade, to Drusilla it was like being stabbed with a hot poker.

"Graaaaaaah!" Drusilla screamed

She took the knife out and threw it aside; it embedded in the wall, inches away from where Willow was standing. Before Drusilla could turn Buffy to dust, the younger vampire charged at her sire, and tore at the woman's neck-flesh with her fangs. Drusilla gripped Buffy tightly, and spun around, hurling Buffy against the wall, against Drusilla's ornamental samurai sword.

Buffy took down the sword, and swung it threateningly. Though it wasn't her favorite, she was quite proficient with a sword. She advanced towards to Drusilla. The two of them circled each other; Buffy was looking for the perfect time to strike, Drusilla was anticipating Buffy's attack.

"Come on, do it," Drusilla taunted, "Attack me. Try and see if you can get one by me."

Buffy waited for a second, then sliced the sword through the air. She managed to be faster than Drusilla, getting a good slash across her torso, but a nonlethal one.

"Not bad," Drusilla said

Buffy went in for a neck-shot, but this time Drusilla was ready. She reached behind herself and grabbed a chair, swinging it in the path of Buffy's sword. There was a crash, and wood splintered everywhere; the sword fell out of Buffy's hand, and Drusilla caught it.

"Now the tables have turned," Drusilla leered

In response, Buffy ran over to what she assumed was Drusilla's weapons cabinet; she was correct, and found herself a new sword.

"That's a very expensive antique saber!" Drusilla screeched, "Be careful!"

She swung the samurai sword at Buffy; the younger vamp managed to catch the blade on the saber.

"Just give up," Drusilla warned, "You'll never beat me."

The two of them clashed swords several more times; they fought their way into the next room, the dining room.

"So what would Spike say if he knew you recruited Willow to kill me?" Drusilla asked

"He'd probably be too excited from learning I'm back in town," Buffy taunted

"Excited to kill you?" Drusilla asked

Buffy's eyes lit up.

"You don't know, do you?" she asked

"Know what?" Drusilla asked

"You don't know that the whole time you were soulless, Spike and I were…"

Then suddenly, Buffy managed to turn Drusilla's sword around, and kicked it her. Drusilla was pinned to the wall.

"And now…" Buffy began, preparing her sword for the killing blow, "I'm gonna do what I should have done in 1880…"

Then Buffy felt a wooden object touch down on her back.

"Don't do it, Buffy," Willow warned

Buffy weighed her options. Could she slice a sword faster than Willow could stab a stake?

Buffy dropped the sword, but then spun around and grabbed the stake from Willow.

"You really need to pick a side," Buffy admitted, "Right now, you seem to have your loyalties confused."

Suddenly, Buffy turned Willow around, grabbing her in the standard feeding position (Willow in front, with Buffy's arm around her neck,). Drusilla attempted to get free of the sword and help Willow, but it was to no avail. Buffy morphed into her vampire face. She pierced the side of Willow's neck, oh-so-gently, letting a small stream of blood pour out. Then, sensually and slowly, Buffy licked the blood off Willow's neck.

"Oh goodness…" Willow gasped

Then Buffy shoved Willow away, and began to leave.

"Seriously, get your priorities straight," Buffy warned, "Next time I'm in town, you'd better have your life in order."

The vampire walked out of the house, slamming the door loudly. Willow was relieved that the situation was defused. Then Willow remembered that Drusilla still had a sword pinning her to the wall. She turned to the vampire.

"Um, let me..." Willow began, "Let me get that out."

Willow jiggled the sword around, trying to loosen it from the wall, all while Drusilla continued glaring at her. Eventually, the sword got loose from the wall. The two of them exchanged uneasy looks.

"I...I'm gonna go now," Willow said

She began walking away, to the exit. Part of the girl wished that Drusilla would say something, just to let her know what the situation was. Willow hated living in fear of what Drusilla would do next, even with a soul. Drusilla felt Willow's fear, and decided to put it to rest.

"I am grateful for you not killing me..." Drusilla muttered

"What?" Willow asked, surprised

Drusilla looked over to Willow, giving her a look that said "you heard me, don't try and make a big deal of it". Willow accepted the look, and left out the front door, wanting to put the events of the night behind her.

/

/

/

To be continued…


	68. Doppelgangland: Part 1

**A/N:  
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**I was going to do 'Consequences'…but if I did, it would basically have been the 'Consequences' script with 'Buffy' and 'Angel' crossed out and replaced with Spike and Dru respectively, and when writing that (or more accurately, sitting around transcribing a transcript) I got so bored I thought I would die. So basically, Faith had a crisis of faith after killing someone, tried to go to Drusilla for help, then Wesley misunderstood the situation and called the Watchers. Then it all got sorted out and Faith decided to stay on The Mayor's side, but the Scoobies don't know that.**

**Also, sorry for the long break. It ran for longer than I thought it would**

/

/

/

Spike and Oz were at the Bronze, playing pool.

"Is Faith gonna come here tonight?" Oz asked

"Probably not," Spike admitted, "Think she's with her dad again."

Spike leaned over, and aimed his cue at one of the striped balls.

"Hey, your time of the month's comin' up, right?" Spike asked

Oz let out a sigh/laugh.

"Do we really have to call it that?" Oz asked

"Yeah," Spike nodded, "We **_have_** to call it that. It's imperative."

/

Willow and Xander were sitting at a table at the Bronze, eating scones.

"…so the assignment was modern European economics," Xander explained, "And Ms. Hornby singles me out, asks me '_What are your thoughts on Greece?_', and I said _'well, I don't think it was right that Sandy had to change who she was just to impress Danny'._"

Xander waited for Willow's reaction.

"Huh," Willow muttered

"Willow, what's wrong? Usually you're in stitches after one of my schoolyard anecdotes."

"Sorry. I'm just kinda worried. I got called into the principal's office today," Willow said

Xander grinned.

"Willow Danielle Rosenberg, are you finally going through your rebellious period?" Xander asked

"No, Snyder asked me to tutor Percy, from the basketball team," Willow explained

"Well you can do that, you're smart," Xander reminded, "Might get through to him."

"Yeah," Willow nodded, feeling a bit better

"Oh, hey, there he is now," Xander noticed

Percy walked towards the table.

"Hey Rosenberg, Harris," Percy said, feeling like a king addressing the peasants, "Just so you know, got my dates mixed up. I'll need that history report on Wednesday, not Thursday."

"Uh, wait, I thought I was going to tutor you?" Willow asked

"Yeah, but it'd just be easier for you to do it for me. No one will notice."

"But, isn't that...?"

"Do you wanna answer to Snyder when I fail history?" Percy asked

"No, but…"

"Good. Get started on my report."

Then he left. Willow was filled with the burden of humiliation and defeat, as if she was some doormat that anyone could push around, that she had no will of her own.

"Why didn't you say something?" Willow whined to Xander

"Why didn't you say something?" Xander retorted

"Well you were right there, I-I just assumed you'd step in and defend me," Willow attempted

"So if I wasn't there, then what would you have said?" Xander asked

"Um…that he was a…that he could go…" Willow attempted

"Maybe Spike can…" Xander began

"No, I don't want to bother him," Willow sighed, "I'll just do Percy's homework."

/

Willow went to the bathroom; when she came back, she found Spike, Oz, and Xander arguing at the pool table.

"What's going on?" Willow asked

"Not great," Spike said, annoyed, "Apparently, no one can watch Oz on the night he transforms."

"Well I figured Oz would get someone!" Xander argued

"And I figured Giles would get someone," Oz said

"_Did_ Giles get someone?" Willow asked

"We have no way of knowing, he's out of town," Spike explained

"Why don't I watch him?" Willow suggested, "Then if someone Giles sent comes, I can leave."

The three guys exchanged looks.

"OK, that works," Oz said

/

Spike and Oz went back to their pool game. Xander drifted over next to Willow, putting his arm around her.

"Isn't it a good thing we've got Willow around?" Xander grinned, "Old Reliable."

"What?" Willow asked, insulted

"Well, you know, emphasis on reliable," Xander assured

"That's the part I don't like!" Willow said, "Old Reliable? There's a sexy nickname!"

"Well you could take it to mean that you're like a geyser of fun," Oz suggested

"That's Old Faithful," Spike said

"Wasn't that the dog?" Xander asked

"No, that's Old Yeller," Oz realized they had gotten off track, "Willow, we love that you're reliable. It's your thing."

"Well, maybe I don't wanna be the reliable one," Willow argued, "Maybe I'm not just some doormat person. Or some kind of...Homework Gal!"

Oz and Xander knew they had to approach the situation carefully…

/

Ten seconds later…

/

"Spike, I cannot believe you just said that!" Willow gasped

"What? S'true," Spike said, unapologetically

Willow picked up a glass, and splashed its contents in Spike's face. The slayer looked at Willow with silent confusion and irritation. The witch then stormed out of the building.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Xander asked Spike

"Spike, human girls don't like being told that," Oz tried to explain calmly

"Someone had to tell her!" Spike insisted

What?!" Xander asked, frustrated, "No she didn't! She could have gone her whole life without hearing that!"

/

Willow went home, intending to prove she wasn't a doormat or 'Old Reliable'. She wanted to do something wild and rebellious. The best she could do was wear her mother's old leather jacket, play her stereo a bit louder than usual, and drink the few ounces of wine left that wasn't locked away.

/

There was a knock at the door. Willow went downstairs to answer it. Anya was standing there.

"Willow!" she greeted, with a facade of happiness

"Anya…" Willow attempted to remember her

"I was hoping you'd be here," Anya said, "I need you to help me."

"Oh, even you count on Old Reliable Willow?" Willow growled

"Yes, I need your help with a spell," Anya explained

"A spell?" Willow asked, intrigued

"Yeah, but it is a bit controversial," Anya warned

That appealed heavily to Willow's current desire for rebellion.

Unfortunately, due to the ambiguous nature of the wish-verse's existence, most of Willow's memories of Anya's last spell had faded. All she could remember that Anya did a spell, things became a bit weird, then they returned to normal leaving Willow with a newfound appreciation for Spike.

"I don't know…" Willow began

"If you're not up to it, I can find a better witch to do it," Anya offered

"No, I'm up for it," Willow insisted

/

Later…

/

Willow and Anya stood around a pentagram, in an empty classroom. Anya had set up several candles in the room, and there was a box hanging from the ceiling, which smelt very strange.

"I thought you said this was a simple ritual?" Willow asked

"It is," Anya nodded, moving closer to Willow, "Just a simple temporal fold. I lost my pendant, I need it back."

Willow felt a sharp pain on her arm; she looked down and saw Anya had cut her with a knife.

"Why did you…?" Willow began

Anya cut herself, then dropped the knife in the center of the pentagram.

"Now, got your cue cards?" Anya asked

"I already memorized it," Willow assured

/

Anya took a deep breath and held her hand out palm up over the circle.

"Eryishon," Anya began, "K'shala. Meh-uhn."

Willow also reached out with her hand palm-up, connecting it with Anya's.

"Diprecht. Doh-tehenlo nu-Eryishon," Willow read her script

Anya picked up a bottle of sacred sand and held it over the pentagram.

"The child to the mother," Anya said

Willow took ahold of the bottle aswell.

"The river to the sea," Willow said

"Eryishon, hear my prayer," Anya said, closing her eyes

Then suddenly, there was a flash of lightning, striking down on the five intersection points of the pentagram's circle…

/

_An alternate reality…_

_/_

_Xander staked two vampires at the same time. Cordelia swung her machete around, killing three. Harmony staked a vampire in the stomach before a crowd of vampires began tearing her apart. Drusilla lunged at Vamp-Willow, intent on getting revenge for the three years of torment the redhead had inflicted on her. Spike tried to yell at them to retreat, but then The Master got in his way; the two of them began fighting. Giles was about to sneak up on Spike, when Oz took a stake out of his jacket and jammed it into Giles' chest._

_"You little bastard…!" Giles growled_

_Then he exploded into dust. Oz began fighting the other vampires. Drusilla pinned Vamp-Willow to the wall and attempted to snap her neck, but the evil vampire was too strong. She head-butted Drusilla, knocking her backwards. Then suddenly, Vamp-Willow disappeared…_

/

The Main Universe…

/

Anya and Willow stood around the pentagram, waiting for something to happen.

"That was a colossal waste of time," Anya shrugged, "Thank you for nothing."

"Well it was your spell," Willow argued, attempting to be more assertive, "It's your own...bloody fault that it failed!"

"Bloody?" Anya asked

"Yeah, I say bloody now," Willow stated, "G-got a problem with that?"

"You're not British, you can't pull it off," Anya explained

"W-well…so's your face!" Willow said

Anya struggled to think of a response to that. She remained silent, admitting defeat.

"Help me clean this up?" Anya said

"Okay," Willow said, "Uh…I mean, fine, whatever."

The two girls began to pick up the magical ingredients. Willow looked around the pentagram for Anya's gem of Thesulah, one of the ingredients in the spell. It was a tiny gem, barely the size of a pebble and very rare.

"Is this what you're looking for?" Vamp-Willow asked, holding out the gem

Willow saw the hand that held the gem.

"Oh yeah, thanks," Willow then looked up, "…oh Goddess."

/

/

/

To be continued…


End file.
